OAC Names Reinhart Defensive Player of the Week
Written Nov. 16, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Linebacker Donnie Reinhart, a senior from Westerville (Dublin Coffman High School), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) defensive player of the week, the OAC released Monday.

Reinhart led all tacklers in Otterbein’s 24-22 win over John Carroll at home last Saturday in Westerville. The senior made 14 stops, seven of them unassisted, on senior day in Memorial Stadium.

Cards Finish 23rd in Final Regular-Season D3football Poll
Released Nov. 15, 2009 by D3football.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The final regular-season D3football.com Top 25, through games of Saturday, Nov. 14. A final poll will be released following the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl on Dec. 19.

#   School (1st votes)       Rec.  Pts   Prev.   
1   Mount Union (19)         10-0   619    1   
2   UW-Whitewater (6)        10-0   606    2   
3   Wesley                   10-0   567    3   
4   St. John's               10-0   536    4   
5   Linfield                  9-0   509    5   
6   Central                  10-0   499    6   
7   Mary Hardin-Baylor        9-1   472    7   
8   Monmouth                 10-0   430    8   
9   Case Western Reserve     10-0   382    9   
10  St. Thomas                9-1   369   10   
11  Thomas More              10-0   344   11   
12  Wittenberg               10-0   319   12   
13  Ohio Northern             8-2   316   13   
14  Illinois Wesleyan         9-1   310   14   
15  Wabash                    9-1   267   15   
16  Delaware Valley           9-1   247   17   
17  North Central (Ill.)      8-2   226   16   
18  Hampden-Sydney           10-0   200   18   
19  Mississippi College       8-2   166   19   
20  Washington and Jefferson  9-1   154   20   
21  Willamette                8-2   140   22   
22  Cal Lutheran              8-1   111   --   
23  Otterbein                 8-2    78   23   
24  Montclair State           9-1    60   --   
25  Coe                       9-1    50   --   

Dropped out: No. 21 Wheaton (Ill.), No. 24 Kean, No. 25 Mount St. Joseph.

Others receiving votes: Trine 34, Alfred 19, Albright 17, UW-Stevens Point 15, Capital 15, Carthage 10, Occidental 8, Wheaton (Ill.) 7, UW-Stout 4, Amherst 4, Mount St. Joseph 3, Kean 3, DePauw 3, Susquehanna 2, Huntingdon 2, Redlands 1, Dickinson 1.

The D3football.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly.

Cards Hold Off John Carroll to Win 24-22 on Senior Day
Written Nov. 14, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein kept its NCAA playoff hopes alive, holding off John Carroll, 24-22, Saturday on senior day in Memorial Stadium.

With the win, the 23rd-ranked Cardinals clinched a share of second place with Ohio Northern in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), finishing regular-season play at 8-2 overall and 7-2 in the OAC. Ohio Northern, a 52-14 winner at Wilmington today, also finished at 8-2 overall and 7-2 in the league.

The two teams await their fate for a potential at-large selection to the playoffs. ESPN News is scheduled to announce the 32-team field for the 2009 NCAA Division III Football Championship, 3 p.m., Sunday.

The Otterbein defense played big late, making two fourth-quarter interceptions and breaking up a John Carroll two-point conversion attempt with 42 seconds to play in the game. Otterbein junior running back Colton Coy turned in his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season to finish with 1,013 yards over the regular season.

Otterbein took a 17-16 lead into the fourth quarter on a pair of Colton Coy touchdown runs of nine and one yards, and a 32-yard field goal from junior place-kicker David Brewer.

The Cardinals stopped back-to-back John Carroll drives, intercepting two passes from senior quarterback Jeff Javorek in the fourth quarter, the first by senior cornerback Chase Bowman at the Otterbein 31-yard line with 10:49 to play.

Following Bowman’s interception, Otterbein senior wide receiver Ryan Rowley caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser, capping off a six-play, 59-yard drive, which extended Otterbein’s lead to 24-16 with 8:04 to play.

John Carroll bounced right back, driving to the Otterbein 12-yard line before senior defensive end Nick Stelzer picked off another Javorek pass—deflected at the line of scrimmage—with 4:04 to go in the game.

The Blue Streaks’ defense held on Otterbein’s next series, and the offense took over, mounting an 11-play, 77-yard scoring drive, which ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Javorek to senior wide receiver Scottie Williams to pull within two points, 24-22, with 42 seconds to play in the game. Javorek’s pass for the two-point conversion failed.

Coy finished with exactly 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 16 carries to lead the Cardinals. Senior running back Eric Yates carried the ball nine times for 60 yards.

Schlosser completed 11 of 17 pass attempts for 140 yards and one touchdown. Rowley made six receptions for 90 yards and one touchdown. Senior tight end Mike Detwiler added three catches for 45 yards.

Senior linebacker Donnie Reinhart led all tacklers with 14 stops, seven of them unassisted. Junior defensive end Chaz Horsley made five tackles, including a pass sack for a loss of three yards.

Cards to Host John Carroll on Senior Day
Written Nov. 12, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein closes out regular-season play in a must-win situation, taking on the Blue Streaks of John Carroll University Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup. It will be Senior Day.

The 23rd-ranked Cardinals, 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the OAC, need a win to keep their NCAA Division III football playoff hopes alive. Both Otterbein and 13th-ranked Ohio Northern (7-2, 6-2), who travels to Wilmington Saturday, share second place in the OAC and remain in the running for an at-large bid. John Carroll, 3-6 overall, sits in a four-way tie for fifth place in the OAC with a 3-5 conference mark.

“We know to have any chance at all we have to win Saturday,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth about his team’s chances for an NCAA bid. “More importantly, it’s the seniors’ last game and it’s the most important game we will have played this season.  We know we’re playing against a traditionally-strong John Carroll program with a great history, and they are going to be a tough team to compete against.”

Toss in the fact that the two most recent meetings between the two schools have been close; Saturday’s game could be a barn burner. Last season, Otterbein needed one overtime to pull out a 20-17 win in University Heights and earn its first trip to the NCAA Championships. In 2007, John Carroll won in three overtime periods, escaping with a 35-33 road win in Westerville.

The Blue Streaks, under head coach Regis Scafe, come into the game seeking to halt a four-game losing streak in which the team faced nationally-ranked teams Capital, Ohio Northern and Mount Union in succession before losing to Muskingum, 34-31, at home last Saturday. The Fighting Muskies scored on the final play of the game, a 32-yard touchdown pass, to win at John Carroll.

John Carroll owns OAC wins over Baldwin-Wallace, 43-29, Heidelberg, 30-27, and Marietta, 22-0, this season.

“Defensively, John Carroll has two of the best defensive ends in the country,” Loth said. “Except for Mount Union, we’ve not faced a better pair of ends this year. They have a very good football player in every position on defense.

“Offensively,” Loth continued, “Jeff Javorek is a very good senior quarterback and their receiver, Frank Ross, is a force on offense. He plays quarterback, he plays receiver, returns kicks; he does it all. We definitely have to know where Frank Ross is.”

Otterbein, meanwhile, comes into the game seeking to halt a two-game losing streak. The Cardinals suffered an upset loss at Marietta, 25-22, Oct. 31 before losing at top-ranked Mount Union, 58-7, last Saturday in Alliance. Otterbein lost five offensive starters to injury, including sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser, over the course of the game at Marietta. Schlosser is expected to start on Saturday.

Although the Cardinals rushed for just 52 yards at Mount Union, the team continues to lead the OAC in rushing, averaging 231 yards a game. Junior running back Colton Coy, averaging 102 rushing yards a game, sits third in the OAC. Senior running back Eric Yates holds down the ninth spot with a 71-yard average.

Otterbein also leads the OAC in opponent 4th-down conversions (38.9 percent), 3rd-down conversions (51.5 percent), time of possession (31:41, and kickoff coverage (42.7 yards).

ESPN News will announce the 32-team field for the 2009 NCAA D-III Football Championship this Sunday beginning at 3 p.m.
 

Cards Sit 23rd in D3football.com Poll
Released Nov. 8 by D3football.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Otterbein dropped to 23rd in the latest D3football.com poll released Sunday. The Top 25, through games of Saturday, Nov. 7:

#   School (1st votes)        Rec.   Pts  Prev.
1   Mount Union (19)           9-0   619    1
2   UW-Whitewater (6)          9-0   606    2
3   Wesley                     9-0   567    3
4   St. John's                 9-0   536    4
5   Linfield                   8-0   509    5
6   Central                   10-0   500    6
7   Mary Hardin-Baylor         8-1   467    7
8   Monmouth                  10-0   427    8
9   Case Western Reserve       9-0   394    9
10  St. Thomas                 8-1   371   10
11  Thomas More                9-0   337   11
12  Wittenberg                 9-0   303   14
13  Ohio Northern              7-2   297   17
14  Illinois Wesleyan          8-1   295   19
15  Wabash                     8-1   255   16
16  North Central (Ill.)       7-2   213   18
17  Delaware Valley            8-1   212   20
18  Hampden-Sydney             9-0   175   21
19  Mississippi College        7-2   153   22
20  Washington and Jefferson   8-1   137   23
21  Wheaton (Ill.)             7-2   121   12
22  Willamette                 7-2   113   24
23  Otterbein                  7-2    88   15
24  Kean                       8-1    86   --
25  Mount St. Joseph           9-0    73   --

Others receiving votes: Cal Lutheran 63, DePauw 44, Redlands 30, Trine 27, Capital 26, Alfred 20, Occidental 13, Dickinson 11, Coe 10, UW-Stevens Point 8, Montclair State 7, Albright 6, Huntingdon 5, Amherst 1.

The D3football.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly.

Mount Union Defeats Otterbein 58-7
Written Nov. 7, 2009 by Ed Syguda

ALLIANCE, OHIO—Top-ranked Mount Union cruised to its 18th-straight Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) title, defeating 15th-ranked Otterbein, 58-7, Saturday in Mount Union Stadium.

Otterbein, 7-2 overall, dropped to 6-2 in the OAC and shares second place with 17th-ranked Ohio Northern (7-2, 6-2), who defeated 13th-ranked Capital, 31-21, today in Bexley. The Purple Raiders improved to 9-0 overall and 8-0 in league play.

Mount Union scored on its first six possessions, building a 41-0 lead by the end of the first half.

The Cardinals, sluggish in the early going, gained just 17 yards of offense in the first quarter despite the return of sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser, who was injured last week at Marietta. Schlosser did not start today, but came into the game on Otterbein’s second series.

Otterbein began to find its offensive rhythm late in the second quarter, driving to the Mount Union nine- and eight-yard lines on its last two possessions of the first half. Both drives, however, ended in interceptions.

The Cardinals finally got on the scoreboard on its first possession of the second half, recovering a Mount Union fumble on the Otterbein seven-yard line and mounting a nine-play, 93-yard drive, capped off by a five-yard touchdown pass from Schlosser to senior tight end Mike Detwiler.

The Purple Raiders outgained Otterbein in total yards, 536 to 273. The Cardinals, who came into the game leading the OAC in rushing, averaging 253 yards a game, netted just 52 yards today. Junior running back Colton Coy led Otterbein with 35 yards on nine carries.

Schlosser completed 14 of 26 pass attempts for 201 yards and one touchdown in the loss. Senior wide receiver Ryan Rowley made nine catches for 68 yards.

Senior linebacker Donnie Reinhart led the Cardinal defense with 11 stops, five of them solo. Senior cornerback Chad Woodfork tallied his fourth interception of the season.

Otterbein is scheduled to close out regular-season play at home next Saturday, hosting John Carroll (3-6, 3-5) on senior day. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m.

15th-Ranked Otterbein Travels to Top-Ranked Mount Union
Written Nov. 6, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, with sole possession of second place in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), travels to league leader Mount Union Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff in Alliance.

Kyle Stoughton runs for 55 yards and a touchdown at Marietta.

The 15th-ranked Cardinals, 7-1 overall and 6-1 in the OAC, sit one game behind top-ranked Mount Union, a perfect 8-0 overall and 7-0 in the conference; and one game ahead of both Ohio Northern (6-2, 5-2) and Capital (6-2, 5-2), who share third place in the OAC. Ohio Northern is scheduled to play at Capital this Saturday.

Otterbein, under head coach Joe Loth, who is in his seventh season at his alma mater, comes into the game off a 25-22 upset loss at Marietta last Saturday. The Pioneers mounted a seven play, 69-yard drive in the closing minutes, scoring on a 17-yard touchdown pass with 59 seconds to play in the game. Five Otterbein offensive starters, including sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser, were injured in the game.

Junior running back Colton Coy went over the 100-yard rushing mark for the sixth time this season, netting 101 yards and one TD on 17 carries at Marietta. Sophomore quarterback Kyle Stoughton, filling in for the injured Schlosser, rushed for 55 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown run that gave Otterbein a 22-17 lead with 2:25 to play in the game.

Mount Union, behind the passing of senior quarterback Kurt Rocco, cruised to a 56-7 win at John Carroll last Saturday. Rocco completed 26 of 32 passes for 359 yards and four touchdowns. Senior running back Terrance Morring rushed for 101 yards.

Of the five players injured at Marietta—Schlosser, senior wide receiver Dan Gendron, senior center Sam Watson, junior left tackle Kenny Collmar, and junior right guard Arnold Spikes—only Watson and Collmar are expected to play at Mount Union.

“The key to this week is our new personnel and what they do best,” Loth said earlier in the week about the injuries his starting offensive unit sustained at Marietta. “We’re trying to work through that now and develop our game plan based upon what our guys do best.”

Despite the injuries, Loth said the mood on the team has been good.

“We’re doing okay,” he said. “Everyone is trying to regroup and the guys are learning new positions.”

Mount Union, under 24th-year head coach Larry Kehres, leads NCAA Division III in passing efficiency, and sits second in total defense (194 yards a game), and fifth in total offense (492 yards a game).

“The key in playing Mount Union is to stop the big play from their offense,” Loth said. “They’ve become a big-play offense again. You’ve got to make them drive the football.”

Three Garner ESPN the Magzine Academic Honors
Written Nov. 5, 2009 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – David Ebright, a senior from Columbus, Nick Stelzer, a junior from Delaware, and Sam Watson, a senior from Germantown, were named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV second team in football, as selected by the College Sports Information Director’s of America (CoSIDA).

Ebright, a three-year letterman in the secondary, has compiled 36 total tackles this season (21 solo, 15 assisted). In right games this fall, he has recorded one interception, three pass-breakups, and a forced fumble. A Sport Management major, Ebright has made the Dean’s List seven times.

Stelzer, a two-year letterman on the defensive line, has registered 31 total tackles on the year (13 solo, 18 assisted. An accounting major, he has seven tackles for a loss and a nine-yard sack.

Watson, a three-year letterman at center, has helped  the squad build the conference’s top rushing attack this season, as the Cardinals are average 252.9 yards per game on the ground. Also, the Cards rank fourth in the league in scoring offense at 32.4 ppg. This fall, Watson has helped pave the way for two of the OAC’s top eight rushers in Colton Coy (109.8 ypg) and Eric Yates (78.5 ypg). In addition, the offensive line has allowed just 12 sacks this season, and the Cards leads the conference in red-zone offense. He is majoring in history education.  

Academic All-District IV team members are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. District IV encompasses the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Otterbein is currently ranked 15^th nationally according to the most recent D3football.com poll. The team, standing at 7-1, travels to play league-leading and top-ranked Mount Union this Saturday in Alliance.

Cards Drop to 15th in Latest D3football.com Poll
Released Nov. 1, 2009 by D3football.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Monmouth, Case Western Reserve and St. Thomas move into the top 10 in this week's D3football.com Top 25. The full poll, through games of Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009:

#   School (1st votes)        Rec.  Pts  Prev.   
1   Mount Union (19)          8-0   619    1   
2   UW-Whitewater (6)         8-0   606    2   
3   Wesley                    8-0   565    3   
4   St. John's                8-0   525    4   
5   Linfield                  8-0   520    5   
6   Central                   9-0   498    6   
7   Mary Hardin-Baylor        7-1   459    8   
8   Monmouth                  9-0   419   10   
9   Case Western Reserve      8-0   384   12   
10  St. Thomas                7-1   346   15   
11  Thomas More               8-0   326   20   
12  Wheaton (Ill.)            7-1   304   14   
13  Capital                   6-2   254   16   
14  Wittenberg                8-0   253   17   
15  Otterbein                 7-1   243    7   
16  Wabash                    7-1   226   18   
17  Ohio Northern             6-2   197   19   
18  North Central (Ill.)      6-2   175    9   
19  Illinois Wesleyan         7-1   171   --   
20  Delaware Valley           7-1   145   23   
21  Hampden-Sydney            8-0   139   25   
22  Mississippi College       6-2   114   13   
23  Washington and Jefferson  7-1   109   11   
24  Willamette                6-2   107   22   
25  Alfred                    7-0   103   24   

Dropped out: No. 21 Occidental.

Others receiving votes: Kean 46, Mount St. Joseph 42, Cal Lutheran 41, Albright 39, Bethel 33, Redlands 30, Trine 26, DePauw 16, Occidental 10, Dickinson 8, Coe 8, Centre 7, Rowan 5, UW-Stevens Point 4, Springfield 2, Cortland State 1.

The D3football.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly.

Seventh-Ranked Otterbein Upset at Marietta
Written Oct. 30 by Ed Syguda

MARIETTA, OHIO—Marietta scored with 57 seconds to play to upset seventh-ranked Otterbein, 25-22, Saturday afternoon in Don Drumm Stadium.

The Cardinals, who played the final three quarters without sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser, fell to 7-1 overall and 6-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Otterbein dropped into sole possession of second place in the OAC, one game behind top-ranked Mount Union, who defeated John Carroll, 56-7, today in University Heights. The Pioneers improved to 3-5 overall and 2-5 in the OAC.

Otterbein looked to be on its way to an eighth-straight victory, scoring on its opening possession, a six-play drive covering 60 yards and ending in a 6-yard touchdown throw from Schlosser to senior wide receiver Ryan Rowley with 13:08 to play in the first quarter.

Marietta countered by scoring on its first two possessions on runs of one and four yards from sophomore quarterback Andrew Keller and senior running back Lamar Hunter, respectively, to lead, 14-7, with 9:22 to play in the first half.

The Cardinals closed to within one, 14-13, on a 4-yard touchdown run from junior running back Colton Coy with 4:42 to play in the second quarter. Otterbein missed the one-point conversion.

Marietta led 14-13 at the intermission.

Following a scoreless third quarter, things went crazy in the fourth quarter where there were four lead changes.

Otterbein junior place-kicker David Brewer hit a 25-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a 16-14 lead with 14:13 to play in the game.

The Cardinals held onto the lead for the next 11 minutes until Marietta freshman place-kicker Zane Eschbaugh nailed a 47-yard field goal, the first attempt of his career, to put the Pioneers back in front, 17-16, with 3:16 to go in the game.

Otterbein roared right back, covering 43 yards in two plays—a 9-yard run by senior running back Eric Yates and a 34-yard TD run by sophomore quarterback Kyle Stoughton—to regain the lead, 22-17 with 2:25 to go.

The Cardinal defense could not hold, however, as the Pioneers mounted a seven-play, 69-yard drive, which ended in a 17-yard touchdown pass from Keller to sophomore wide receiver Chad Walker. After a Hunter two-point conversion, Marietta led, 25-22, with 59 seconds to play in the game.

Otterbein’s last possession ended in an interception.

Marietta generated 456 yards of total offense in its win.

OAC rushing leader Colton Coy went over the 100-yard rushing mark for the sixth time this season, netting 101 yards and one TD on 17 carries. Yates added 79 yards on 13 carries, and Stoughton finished with 55 yards and one touchdown on six carries.

Schlosser completed six of nine pass attempts for 41 yards and one touchdown before suffering his injury at the end of the first quarter.

Senior strong safety David Ebright led Otterbein with eight tackles along with a forced fumble.

Otterbein travels to Mount Union next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Alliance.

No. 7 Otterbein Travels to Marietta
Written Oct. 30 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, holding down a share of first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), travels to Marietta Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff at Don Drumm Field.

The Cardinals, a perfect 7-0, share first place with Mount Union (7-0), each 6-0 in the OAC. Marietta, 2-5 overall, sits in a three-way tie for eighth place with Heidelberg (2-5) and Wilmington (1-6), each 1-5 in league play.

Schlosser completes passes of 51, 20, 10 and 34 yards in the winning drive.

The 7th-ranked Cardinals played to a miracle finish at Homecoming, coming from behind to defeat cross-town rival Capital, 35-34, last Saturday in Westerville.  Otterbein, trailing by 11 points, 34-23, with 13:30 to play, mounted two fourth-quarter scoring drives, with the game-winning drive covering 97 yards on 11 plays and ending in a 34-yard touchdown throw from sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser to senior wide receiver Dan Gendron with 38 seconds to play in the game.

“It was a good comeback,” said head coach Joe Loth, who is in his seventh season at his alma mater. “Our guys never panicked and believed the whole time that we were going to come back and win that game in the end.”

Schlosser completed passes of 51, 20, 10, and 34 yards on Otterbein's game-winning drive, which began on the Otterbein 3-yard line. The first two completions were for third-down conversions to senior wide receivers Tanner McCormick and Ryan Rowley, respectively. Otterbein was facing fourth-and-10 when Schlosser delivered the touchdown throw to Gendron.

Marietta, meanwhile, fell short at Muskingum last Saturday in New Concord. Trailing 15-12 with 3:43 to play, The Pioneers worked their way down to the Muskingum 1-yard line with a 12-play drive that started on the Marietta 49-yard line. Marietta senior running back Lamar Hunter was stopped short of the end zone as time expired.

The Pioneers, under second-year head coach Jeff Filkovski, opened the 2009 season with back-to-back home wins over nonconference Thiel, 20-14, and OAC opponent Wilmington, 24-20, but have not won since, losing to Baldwin-Wallace, 34-13, Capital, 37-13, John Carroll, 22-0, and Ohio Northern, 41-10.

Despite the string of losses, Loth remains cautious about his team’s next opponent.

“Marietta has the second-ranked defense in the OAC right now,” Loth said.  “They are going to provide a big challenge to our offense.  They also have Lamar Hunter, the best running back we will have faced this year, and he’s going to provide a big challenge for us. 

“Any time you go on the road in the OAC, it’s a challenge,” Loth added.

Hunter, averaging 109 yards rushing a game, sits second in the OAC behind Otterbein junior running back Colton Coy, who is rushing for 111 yards a game.

The Cardinals, who rushed for 190 yards in the win over Capital, continue to lead the OAC on the ground, averaging 253 yards a game, 16th best in NCAA Division III.

In addition to rushing, Otterbein also leads the OAC in first downs (162), opponent 4th-down conversions (5.3 percent), red zone offense (29 of 33 for 87.9 percent), 3rd-down conversions (57.3 percent), PAT kicking (30 of 31), and time of possession (32:28). The Cardinals rank second in scoring offense (33.9/game), total offense (440 yards/game), and pass efficiency (161.5 rating).

Otterbein, 16-2 over its last 18 regular-season games, would tie the school record for best start to a season, 8-0 set in 2008, with a win at Marietta.

The Cardinals have won the last four meetings with Marietta, including a 55-0 victory at home last season. Both Coy and senior running back Eric Yates rushed for over 100 yards in the win. Coy rushed for 107 yards and three touchdowns while Yates chipped in 125 yards and one touchdown.

Following Marietta, Otterbein remains on the road, traveling to top-ranked Mount Union Nov. 7. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Alliance.

Cards Climb Three Spots to No. 7 in D3football.com Poll
Released Oct. 25 by D3football.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Linfield moves into the top five and North Central (Ill.) returns to the top 10 in the latest D3football.com Top 25. North Central bounced back because of a 27-7 win against then-No. 3 Wheaton (Ill.).

The full poll, through games of Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009:

Rk  School (1st votes)       Rec.   Pts   Prev.  
1   Mount Union (19)          7-0   619    1  
2   UW-Whitewater (6)         7-0   606    2  
3   Wesley                    7-0   565    4  
4   St. John's                8-0   512    5  
5   Linfield                  7-0   508    6  
6   Central                   8-0   475    7  
7   Otterbein                 7-0   423   10  
8   Mary Hardin-Baylor        6-1   416    8  
9   North Central (Ill.)      6-1   409   13  
10  Monmouth                  8-0   395    9  
11  Washington and Jefferson  7-0   374   11  
12  Case Western Reserve      7-0   348   12  
13  Mississippi College       6-1   316   15  
14  Wheaton (Ill.)            6-1   305    3  
15  St. Thomas                6-1   253   16  
16  Capital                   5-2   189   14  
17  Wittenberg                7-0   188   21  
18  Wabash                    6-1   183   18  
19  Ohio Northern             5-2   154   20  
20  Thomas More               7-0   139   23  
21  Occidental                5-1   132   19  
22  Willamette                6-2   118   17  
23  Delaware Valley           6-1    89   24  
24  Alfred                    6-0    80   --  
25  Hampden-Sydney            8-0    63   --  

Dropped out: No. 22 Franklin, No. 25 Centre

Others receiving votes: UW-Stevens Point 49, Redlands 44, Bethel 26, Mount St. Joseph 23, Albright 22, Trine 18, DePauw 17, Kean 15, Cal Lutheran 12, Rowan 10, Cortland State 8, Dickinson 6, Centre 5, Trinity (Conn.) 4, Coe 3, UW-La Crosse 2, Franklin 2.

The D3football.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly.

Cards Move to 7-0 Following 35-34 Win over Capital
Written Oct. 24, 2009 by Ed Syguda
 

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein played to a miracle finish at Homecoming, coming from behind to defeat cross-town rival Capital, 35-34, in a key Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup Saturday afternoon in Memorial Stadium.

Dan Gendron catches the game-winner with 38 seconds to play. See Video

With the win, the 10th-ranked Cardinals improved to 7-0 overall and remain in a first-place tie with Mount Union, a 56-0 winner over Wilmington today, each 6-0 in the OAC. The 14th-ranked Crusaders fell to 5-2 overall and 4-2 in the OAC.

Otterbein, trailing by 11 points, 34-23, with 13:30 to play, mounted two fourth-quarter scoring drives, with the game-winning drive covering 97 yards on 11 plays and ending in a 34-yard touchdown throw from sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser to senior wide receiver Dan Gendron with 38 seconds to play in the game.

The final drive, beginning at the Otterbein 3-yard line with 3:47 to play, featured three clutch conversions, the first coming with Otterbein facing a 3rd-and-8 on its own 5-yard line. Senior wide receiver Tanner McCormick out-jumped the Capital defender for a 51-yard gain. Later in the drive, facing a 3 rd-and-20 on the Otterbein 46, Schlosser found senior wide receiver Ryan Rowley for a 20-yard gain to the Capital 34. Gendron’s game-winning catch came on what looked to be Otterbein’s last play of the game as the Cardinals found themselves in a 4th-and-10 situation. Otterbein’s 2-point conversion attempt to increase the lead to three failed.

Capital still had a one more chance, recovering the ensuing squib kick at the Otterbein 48-yard line with 38 seconds to play. Senior quarterback Marty Assmann threw four straight incompletions, and the Cardinals ran out the final eight seconds of the game.

The game featured plenty of offense, particularly in the first half when both teams simply exchanged scores. Otterbein scored on its first four possessions while Capital scored on its last four possessions of the first half.

Otterbein scored on its first play from the line of scrimmage, a 45-yard run by junior running back Colton Coy with 13:48 to play in the first quarter. Otterbein scored two more on the ground in the first half, a 31-yard run from senior running back Eric Yates, and a 1-yard run by Schlosser with 14:30 remaining in the second quarter. Junior place-kicker David Brewer hit a 36-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a 23-20 lead with 6:17 to play in the half.

Capital led at the intermission, 27-23.

Otterbein did not score again until Schlosser capped off a nine-play, 68-yard drive with a leaping 1-yard touchdown plunge to narrow Capital’s lead to 34-29 with 8:52 to play in the fourth quarter.

On Capital’s next possession, the Crusaders advanced to the Otterbein 41-yard line, and on 4th-and-1, the Crusaders decided to punt, and downed the ball on the Otterbein 3-yard line, where Otterbein began its miracle game-winning drive.

Otterbein finished the game with 426 yards of total offense while Capital gained 427.

Schlosser completed 15 of 22 pass attempts for 236 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 50 yards and two TD’s on 15 carries.

Rowley topped all Otterbein receivers, catching six balls for 90 yards. Gendron made four catches for 64 yards. Senior tight end Mike Detwiler caught three passes for 21 yards.

Coy, for only the second time this season, didn’t break the 100-yard rushing mark, finishing with 74 yards and one TD on nine carries. Yates added 51 yards and a TD on six carries.

Junior linebacker Cole Edwards led the Cardinal defense with nine tackles.

Otterbein, 16-2 overall in its last 18 regular-season games, travels to Marietta next Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff in Don Drumm Stadium. The Pioneers, 2-5 overall and 1-5 in the OAC, dropped a 15-12 decision at Muskingum today in New Concord. The Cardinals are closing in on the school record for best start to a season, 8-0, set last year.

10th-Ranked Otterbein Takes on 14th-Ranked Capital
Written Oct. 22, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, sitting in a first-place tie with Mount Union atop the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) standings, takes on cross-town rival Capital Saturday at Homecoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Memorial Stadium.

(L to R) Eric Yates, Austin Schlosser and Colton Coy are rushing for a combined 263 yards a game.

The game ball will be delivered to the Otterbein captains via air mail as an Army soldier is expected to parachute onto the field with the football at 1:56 p.m.

“Whoever wins the turnover battle on Saturday probably wins the ballgame,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth, who is in his seventh season at his alma mater.

The Cardinals, ranked 10th in the latest poll from D3football.com, improved to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the OAC with a 28-20 win last Saturday at Wilmington.

The Crusaders, 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the OAC, moved up to 14th in the national rankings following a 28-20 victory over John Carroll last Saturday in Bexley. Capital, with its lone loss coming to No. 1 Mount Union, 28-21, holds down the second spot in the OAC.

Otterbein scored the game’s first 14 points and never trailed, generating a season-high 615 yards of total offense in the win at Wilmington. Junior running back Colton Coy, 159 yards, and senior running back Eric Yates, 154 yards, both went over the 100-yard rushing mark. With the win, the Cardinals are 15-2 over their last 17 regular-season games.

Capital’s game with John Carroll, meanwhile, went down to the wire. The Crusaders, under second-year head coach Jim Bickel, stopped John Carroll's last drive seven yards short of the Capital end zone as time expired. Senior Quarterback Marty Assmann completed 16 of 24 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns.

“Offensively, Capital has great balance with the pass game and run game,” Loth said. “Marty Assman is one of the best quarterbacks in the country.

“Defensively,” Loth continued, “they have one of the best run-stopping defenses in the country. It will be an enormous challenge running against their defense.”

And the Cardinals can run, averaging 264 yards a game, which is best in the OAC and 12th in NCAA D-III. In addition to Coy, 117 yards a game, and Yates, 83 yards an outing, sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser is churning out 63 rushing yards a game.

Otterbein also leads the OAC in first downs (144), opponent 4th-down conversions (28.6 percent), 3rd-down conversions (59.4 percent), PAT kicking (28 of 28), and time of possession (33:41). The Cardinals rank second in scoring offense (33.7/game), scoring defense (20.2/game), total offense (443 yards/game), red zone offense (86.7 percent), and red zone defense (64.7 percent).

Capital leads the all-time series, 41-39-3, which began with a 60-0 Otterbein win in 1894. Capital has the series at 41-38-3, however, since football was not recognized as an official varsity sport at Capital until 1923. Otterbein has won three of the last four meetings with the Crusaders, including a 38-9 victory at Capital in 2008.

Woodfork Earns OAC Player of the Week Honors
Written Oct. 19, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Cornerback Chad Woodfork, a senior from Columbus (South), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) defensive player of the week, the OAC released Monday.

Woodfork made two interceptions along with four tackles in Otterbein’s 28-20 victory at Wilmington Saturday. Both interceptions came in the second half in Otterbein territory, one on the Otterbein 29-yard line and the other on the 41-yard line.

This marks the second time this season that Woodfork has earned the honor. The senior made 17 stops in a 38-36 victory over then 9th-ranked Ohio Northern Sept. 26.

Cards Crack D3football Top 10
released Oct. 18, 2009 by D3football.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Wheaton (Ill.) moves into the No. 3 spot and Mississippi College and Wittenberg move into the ranking in the latest D3football.com Top 25, through games of Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.

Mississippi College, which received the 28th-most votes in last week's ranking, jumped to the No. 15 spot after a three-point home win against Mary Hardin-Baylor, winning on a last-second field goal. Wittenberg received the 31st-most votes in last week's ranking and jumped in at No. 21 after edging Wabash on the road on a last-second field goal.

The full poll:

Rk  School (No. 1 votes)     Rec.   Pts   Prev.   
1   Mount Union (19)          6-0   619    1   
2   UW-Whitewater (6)         6-0   606    2   
3   Wheaton (Ill.)            6-0   551    4   
4   Wesley                    6-0   531    5   
5   St. John's                7-0   497    6   
6   Linfield                  6-0   459    7   
7   Central                   7-0   444    8   
8   Mary Hardin-Baylor        5-1   393    3   
9   Monmouth                  7-0   387   11   
10  Otterbein                 6-0   378   13   
11  Washington and Jefferson  6-0   361    9   
12  Case Western Reserve      6-0   355   12   
13  North Central (Ill.)      5-1   351   14   
14  Capital                   5-1   252   16   
15  Mississippi College       5-1   213   --   
16  St. Thomas                5-1   201   15   
17  Willamette                6-1   198   17   
18  Wabash                    5-1   168   10   
19  Occidental                4-1   151   18   
20  Ohio Northern             4-2   135   19   
21  Wittenberg                6-0   129   --   
22  Franklin                  5-1   126   20   
23  Thomas More               6-0   122   21   
24  Delaware Valley           5-1    80   23   
25  Centre                    6-0    76   22   

   

Dropped out: No. 24 UW-La Crosse, No. 25 Redlands.

Others receiving votes: Redlands 62, UW-La Crosse 59, Hampden-Sydney 41, Alfred 37, Bethel 23, Trine 22, St. John Fisher 21, Kean 12, DePauw 11, UW-Stevens Point 10, Cal Lutheran 10, Albright 10, Cortland State 7, Mount St. Joseph 6, Dickinson 5, Trinity (Conn.) 3, Coe 2, Rowan 1

The D3football.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly.

#13 Otterbein Moves to 6-0 With Victory at Wilmington
Written Oct. 17, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WILMINGTON, OHIO—Thirteenth-ranked Otterbein scored the game’s first 14 points and never trailed on its way to a 28-20 victory over Wilmington Saturday in Williams Stadium.

The Cardinals generated a season-high 615 yards of total offense to remain unbeaten in 2009, improving to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Wilmington fell to 1-5 overall and 1-4 in conference play.

With the win, the Cardinals maintained a share of first place with Mount Union, a 44-14 winner over Heidelberg today. Otterbein is scheduled to host cross-town rival Capital next Saturday at Homecoming. The Crusaders, ranked 16th in the nation, defeated John Carroll, 28-20, at home today.

Otterbein scored on its first possession, going 66 yards on eight plays culminating with an 8-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser to senior wide receiver Ryan Rowley with 9:31 to play in the first quarter.

The Cardinals turned the ball over on its next two possessions before striking again on a 12-play, 93-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Schlosser to a wide open Eric Yates, a senior running back, to make it 14-0 with 7:15 to play in the first half.

Wilmington finally got on the board when senior quarterback Billy Blackburn hit senior wide receiver Jeremy Stuckey with a 35-yard scoring strike with 4:10 remaining in the half. The Quakers missed the extra-point attempt and the score stood at 14-6 at halftime.

Following a scoreless third quarter, both offenses kicked it into high gear in the fourth quarter.

The Cardinals struck first, extending its lead to 21-6 on a Schlosser 3-yard touchdown run with 7:38 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Wilmington answered on the very next play from scrimmage with a 54-yard touchdown pass from Blackburn to freshman wide receiver Randy Triplett with 7:24 to play.

Otterbein made it a two-possession game in its next series which ended in a one-handed catch by Rowley off an 18-yard pass from Schlosser with 4:48 remaining in the game.

Wilmington closed out the scoring with Blackburn’s third touchdown throw, a 15-yard pass to junior tight end Darren Howard.

The Cardinals rushed for a season-high 385 yards. Junior running back Colton Coy went over the 100-yard mark for the fifth time this season, running for 159 yards on 18 carries. Yates also broke the 100-yard barrier, rushing for 154 yards on 17 carries. Schlosser added 74 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Schlosser completed 14 of 17 pass attempts for 230 yards and three touchdowns.

Senior tight end Mike Detwiler led the Cardinal receivers with four catches for 81 yards. Senior wide receiver Tanner McCormick caught four balls for 49 yards. Rowley finished with three catches, two of them touchdowns, for 34 yards.

The Otterbein defense forced three turnovers in the game, two of them interceptions by senior cornerback Chad Woodfork, who finished with four tackles, two of them unassisted. Junior linebacker Cole Edwards led Otterbein with eight tackles. Senior linebacker Donnie Reinhart tallied seven tackles and recovered a Wilmington fumble on the Otterbein 9-yard line with the Quakers driving in the first quarter.

The kickoff for next Saturday’s Homecoming game against Capital is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Memorial Stadium.

Unbeaten Cardinals Travel to Wilmington
Written Oct. 16, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, playing six of its 10 games on the road this season, travels to Wilmington Saturday for an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. It will be homecoming in Wilmington.

OC's defense ranks 3rd in the OAC.

“Any time you go on the road in the OAC it is a challenge,” said Otterbein head football coach Joe Loth, who is in his seventh season at his alma mater. “We need to win the turnover battle, be great on special teams, and handle the possible adverse weather conditions.”

The Cardinals, ranked 13th for the third-consecutive week by D3football.com, head into the game locked in a first-place tie with Mount Union, each 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the OAC. Wilmington, 1-4 overall, sits in a four-way tie for sixth place with a 1-3 OAC record. The Quakers defeated John Carroll, 24-16, at home Oct. 3.

The Cardinals, 14-2 over their last 16 regular-season games, held off Baldwin-Wallace, 21-17, last Saturday on the road in Berea.

“Our defense really came together in the second half,” Loth said.

The Cardinal defense, nursing a 21-17 lead at the half, held B-W to just 86 yards of offense in the second half. The Yellow Jackets never crossed the 50-yard line.

The Cardinals rank third in the OAC in total defense, yielding 319 yards a game, and second in pass defense, 155 yards per game.

“We have done an outstanding job against the pass all season,” Loth said. “Saturday will be another huge challenge. Wilmington’s Billy Blackburn is one of the top quarterbacks in the OAC.”

On the offensive side of the ball, Otterbein leads the OAC in rushing, averaging 239 yards a game to rank 21st in NCAA Division III.

Junior running back Colton Coy, who leads the conference at 109 yards a game, is one of three rushing threats in the Cardinals backfield. Senior running back Eric Yates is averaging 69 yards while sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser is chipping in 60 yards an outing. Coy leads the team in scoring with six rushing touchdowns.

“Eric Yates did a nice job of running the football against Baldwin-Wallace,” Loth said. “We need to find ways to get Dan Gendron more touches on offense.”

Yates led the Cardinals in rushing with 95 yards at B-W. Gendron, a senior wide receiver, made three receptions for 86 yards, including a long of 35 yards.

Senior wide receiver Ryan Rowley, who made two TD receptions at Baldwin-Wallace, continues to lead Otterbein in the air, catching 23 balls for 285 yards and four touchdowns this season.

In last season’s meeting with Wilmington, Otterbein trailed, 14-13, at the half before coming back for a 30-14 victory at homecoming in Westerville.

“We know Wilmington will be ready to play us,” Loth said. “It is their homecoming and we expect them to bring a lot of energy to the game. They had a big win against John Carroll two weeks ago.”
 

#13 Otterbein Overcomes Early Deficit to Defeat Baldwin-Wallace
Written Oct. 10, 2009 by Ed Syguda

BEREA, OHIO—The 13th-ranked Otterbein Cardinals held onto a share of first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), getting by Baldwin-Wallace, 21-17, Saturday afternoon at Tressel Field in Berea.

Ryan Rowley goes into the end zone for the first of two TD receptions at B-W.

With the win, Otterbein improved to 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the OAC and shares the conference lead with Mount Union, a 28-21 winner at Capital today. The Yellow Jackets fell to 1-4 overall and 1-3 in the OAC.

Junior running back Colton Coy’s 9-yard run to give Otterbein a 21-17 lead with 2:28 remaining in the first half proved to be the game-winner as neither team scored in the second half.

Baldwin-Wallace scored the game’s first 10 points, a 24-yard field goal from junior place-kicker John McGraw and a 1-yard run from junior running back John McGraw to give the Yellow Jackets a 10-0 lead with 6:26 to play in the first quarter.

Otterbein responded with a pair of touchdown throws of 14 and five yards from sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser to senior wide receiver Ryan Rowley to take a 14-10 lead with 8:53 to play in the second quarter.

The Yellow Jackets countered on their next possession, mounting a nine play, 56-yard drive, capped off by a 15-yard pass from senior quarterback Anthony Gardner to junior running back Kyrell Cook to retake the lead, 17-14, with 4:20 to play in the half.

Not to be undone, the Cardinals, on their next series, went 63 yards on six plays which ended with Coy’s touchdown run. Otterbein led 21-17 at intermission.

The Cardinal defense and special teams took over in the second half, limiting B-W to just 86 yards of offense. The Yellow Jackets never crossed the 50-yard line as Otterbein junior punter and place-kicker David Brewer placed all four of his second-half punts inside the B-W 20-yard line, with two of them downed on the five- and seven-yard lines.

Schlosser, making just his third varsity start at quarterback, completed 12 of 21 pass attempts for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Rowley caught six balls for 43 yards and two touchdowns while senior wide receiver Dan Gendron made three receptions for 86 yards, including a long of 35 yards at the beginning of Otterbein’s second touchdown drive.

Senior running back Eric Yates led the Otterbein ground attack, rushing for 95 yards on 11 carries. Coy, who entered the game leading the OAC with a rushing average of 120 yards a game, finished with 64 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

Senior linebacker Donnie Reinhart made 11 tackles to lead Otterbein in the win. Senior defensive back Terrell White added nine stops while senior free safety Danny Lynch and junior defensive end Nick Stelzer chipped in eight each. Senior cornerback Chad Woodfork tallied four tackles, including a pass sack for a loss of nine yards on Baldwin-Wallace’s last possession of the game.

The Cardinals remain on the road, traveling to Wilmington Oct. 17 for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.

13th-Ranked Otterbein Travels to Baldwin-Wallace
Written Oct. 9, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, ranked 13th in the nation, hits the road Saturday, traveling to Baldwin-Wallace for a key Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. on the campus of Baldwin-Wallace where it will be homecoming.

SportsTime Ohio will carry the game Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at noon.

The Cardinals, 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the OAC, come into the game off a 49-20 victory over Heidelberg last Saturday at Hall of Fame Day. The Yellow Jackets, 1-3 overall, fell to 1-2 in league play after losing to defending national champion Mount Union, 30-0, on the road last Saturday in Alliance.

Baldwin-Wallace, however, could be better than its record indicates.

“I told our team five minutes after our last win that Baldwin-Wallace will be the best team we have faced this year,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth, who is in his seventh season at his alma mater. “We know it will be a great challenge.”

The Yellow Jackets lone win this season came against Marietta, a 34-13 decision Sept. 26 in Berea. In its other OAC matchup, Baldwin-Wallace fell, 43-29, to arch-rival John Carroll in University Heights Sept. 19.

Otterbein, compiling a 17-3 record over its last 20 regular-season games, enters the weekend on a roll.

Otterbein sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser, making just his second career start, had a hand in five of Otterbein’s seven touchdowns as the Cardinals defeated Heidelberg for the seventh-straight season last Saturday in Westerville. The quarterback ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more to earn OAC “offensive player of the week” honors.

Junior running back Colton Coy, who leads the OAC in rushing, broke the 100-yard barrier for the fourth time this season, rushing 18 times for 115 yards, including an eight-yard score. He ranks 19th in NCAA Division III with a rushing average of 120 yards a game.

The Cardinals lead the OAC and rank 17th in the nation in rushing, averaging 253.8 yards a game.

“Offensively we must work to be balanced against their defense,” Loth said about Baldwin-Wallace. “We know they are committed in stopping our run game.”

The Yellow Jackets rank seventh in the OAC in total defense, but sit third in rushing defense, allowing just 131 yards a game.

Offensively, B-W is averaging 372 yards a game, fourth best in the OAC.

“Our defense must do a great job against their talented offense,” Loth said. “They have an outstanding quarterback in Anthony Gardner.”

The Cardinals sit second in the OAC in total defense, allowing 322 yards per game.

Otterbein took last season’s meeting with Baldwin-Wallace by a score of 42-28. Otterbein quarterback Jack Rafferty completed 15 of 19 pass attempts for 231 yards and three touchdowns, and scored on a two-yard run.

“Baldwin-Wallace is a proud program with a great tradition,” Loth said.

Although Baldwin-Wallace is 9-11 over its last 20 regular-season games, the Yellow Jackets boast one of the winningest programs in college football. B-W has had 40 winning seasons in the past 42 years.

Following the Yellow Jackets, Otterbein remains on the road, traveling to Wilmington Oct. 17 for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.

OAC Names Schlosser Offensive Player of the Week
Written Oct. 5, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Quarterback Austin Schlosser, a sophomore from Plain City (Jonathan Alder High School), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) offensive player of the week, the OAC released Monday.

Schlosser, making just his second varsity start, had a hand in five of Otterbein’s seven touchdowns in a 49-20 victory over Heidelberg last Saturday in Westerville. The quarterback ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more.

Schlosser scored on runs of eight, three and seven yards, finishing with 96 yards rushing on 15 carries. He was near perfect through the air, connecting on 13 of 16 pass attempts for 183 yards.

The Cardinals, 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the OAC, travel to Baldwin-Wallace Saturday for a 2 p.m. kickoff. Otterbein is ranked 13th in NCAA Division III.

Cards Move to 4-0 with 49-20 Win over Heidelberg
Written Oct. 3, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, scoring touchdowns on its first five possessions, held onto a share of first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), cruising to a 49-20 victory over Heidelberg Saturday afternoon in Memorial Stadium.

Austin Schlosser runs for three TD's and passes for two more against the Berg

The 13th-ranked Cardinals improved to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the OAC while the Berg dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-3 in conference play.

Heidelberg struck first, scoring on its first possession of the game, a 31-yard pass from quarterback Andrew Miller to running back Jemar Lewis with 12:40 to play in the first quarter.

Otterbein scored the next 28 points of the game, beginning with a 15-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser to senior wide receiver Tanner McCormick, to lead 28-7 with 14:21 to play in the first half. Schlosser had touchdown runs of eight and three yards in that 28-point barrage. Junior running back Colton Coy, who entered the game averaging 121 rushing yards a game, scored Otterbein’s other touchdown, an 8-yard run.

The two teams traded touchdowns before the half, and Otterbein led 35-13 at the break.

Otterbein picked right up in the second half, scoring on its first possession, a 10-play, 65-yard drive that culminated in a Schlosser 7-yard run for a touchdown to give Otterbein an insurmountable 42-13 lead with 8:51 to play in the third quarter. The Cards used up six minutes in that drive. Senior running back Eric Yates scored Otterbein’s final touchdown, an 8-yard run with 5:36 to play in the third quarter.

Otterbein put up a season-high 503 yards of total offense, with 343 yards coming on the ground.

Coy went over the 100-yard rushing mark for the fourth time this season, finishing with 115 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. Schlosser just missed, rushing for 96 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries. Yates added 65 yards and one touchdown on nine carries.

Schlosser, who had a hand in five of Otterbein’s seven touchdowns, was near perfect through the air, completing 13 of 16 pass attempts for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receivers Ryan Rowley and Dan Gendron each had four catches in the game. Rowley picked up 78 yards and one touchdown.

The Cardinal defense, led by junior defensive end Nick Stelzer, recorded 10 tackles for a loss, including four pass sacks. Stelzer made five stops, including two for a loss of two yards.

With the win, Otterbein retained the Rhine River Cup. Otterbein and Heidelberg have been battling for the Rhine River Cup ever since the two teams played the first-ever collegiate football game in Frankfurt, Germany in 1992, which ended in a 7-7 tie. The Cardinals now hold a 12-5-1 lead in the Rhine River series, having won 11 of the last 12 meetings, including the last seven.

Otterbein hits the road next, traveling to Baldwin-Wallace next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

#13 Otterbein Set to Host Heidelberg on Hall of Fame Day
Written Oct. 1, 2009 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO –Otterbein (3-0, 2-0 OAC), ranked 13^th in the nation in the latest D3football.com poll, will host Heidelberg (1-2, 0-2 OAC) Saturday, 1:30 p.m., at Memorial Stadium in the Battle for the Rhine River Cup. It will also be Hall of Fame Day.

Otterbein and Heidelberg have been battling for the Rhine River Cup ever since the two teams played the first-ever collegiate football game in Frankfurt, Germany in 1992, which ended in a 7-7 tie. The Cardinals hold an 11-5-1 lead in the Rhine River series, having won ten of the last 11 meetings, including the last six.

The Cardinals enter the contest fresh off a 38-36 defeat of Ohio Northern, who were ranked ninth at the time. Since, the Polar Bears have fallen to 16^th in the D3football.com poll while OC moved up five spots from 18^th.

“I was proud of the way our team handled the adversity they faced going into the game, from losing a number of starters, the weather, and playing a very good Ohio Northern football team,” said head coach Joe Loth.”

Sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser made his first career start in the contest, completing 10-of-15 passes for 157 yards with one touchdown and an interception. He also ran 12 times for 72 yards and  a touchdown, which came 20 seconds before halftime and put the Cards on top 35-17.

Schlosser, who took over for injured quarterback Jack Rafferty, will look to take the positives from the contest and carry them over to the matchup with the Student Princes.

“Austin did a nice job running our offense,” Loth said. “We are very fortunate to have a player with his ability and skill set for us to continue to run our same style offense.”

On the ground, junior running back Colton Coy turned in his third-straight 100-yard effort to open season, gaining 128 yards on 27 carries with two scores.  

Senior back Eric Yates rushed 10 times for 34 yards, and also grabbed a 20-yard touchdown reception.

Senior wide receiver Ryan Rowley caught seven balls for 111 yards against Northern to lead all OC wideouts. The Grove City native hauled in catches of 33 and 40 yards in the game.

Senior defensive back Chad Woodfork helped preserve the win for the Cards by forcing and recovering a fumble on ONU’s last possession. He led all tacklers with 17 stops en route to being named the league’s “Defensive Player of the Week.”

Otterbein will battle a Heidelberg team that has dropped two straight, but is averaging nearly 34 points per game. The Berg’ lost a tough 30-27 contest against John Carroll last Saturday after fighting back from a 23-7 deficit.

The Student Princes are led on offense by the three-headed monster of quarterback Andrew Miller, running back Jemar Lewis, and wide receiver Mike Preston. Miller is averaging 283 yards per game through the air with a 3-1 touchdown to interception ratio. Lewis has gained 144 yards on just 36 carries to lead the rushing attack, tallying two touchdowns in the process.

Preston may be the Berg’s biggest threat, as he has totaled 17 receptions for 400 yards and four scores so far this fall. The 6’4” junior averages 133.3 receiving yards per outing, as well as an impressive 23.5 yards per catch average.

“Heidelberg is a well coached football team with a tremendous amount of playmakers on both sides of the ball,” Loth explained. “We will need to contain their offense, which has been producing big plays week in and week out.”

Defensively, Heidelberg runs a combination 3-4 / 4-6 package with a lot of man coverage. Senior defensive back Wayne Glisson has tallied 33 tackles (28 solo) in three games played.

“For us to be successful,” Loth continued, “our offensive guys have to completely prepare for all of the issues their defense will present.”

Overall, Loth hopes his team carries over the momentum of the big win a week ago, but would like to see the group clean up some of its special teams play.

“We must do a better job on special teams,” said Loth. “The biggest disappointment last week was the inconsistency of our special teams. David Brewer made a big kick to solidify the win last week, but we need to be more consistent in all phases.”

The Hall of Fame ceremony begins at 10:45 a.m. in the Campus Center, with the full class being introduced to fans in the stadium at 1:15 p.m., shortly before kickoff.

Woodfork Named Defensive Player of the Week
Written Sept. 28, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Cornerback Chad Woodfork, a senior from Columbus (South), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) defensive player of the week, the OAC released Monday.

Woodfork made 17 tackles, including seven unassisted, in Otterbein’s 38-36 victory over 9th-ranked Ohio Northern last Saturday in Westerville. The cornerback thwarted Ohio Northern’s comeback attempt, forcing and recovering a fumble on the Otterbein 37-yard line with Ohio Northern driving with just under one minute to play in the game.

Cards Move Up Five to 13th in D3 Poll
Released Sept. 27, 2009 by D3football.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Franklin re-enters the poll and Thomas More reaches the Top 25 for just the second week in the poll's seven-year history, entering at No. 25. The Saints were last in the D3football.com Top 25 after Week 9 of last season, when they were 7-1.

Cards Escape 9th-Ranked Ohio Northern 38-36
written Sept. 26, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein scored 28 points in the second quarter and held off a late Ohio Northern charge to win 38-36 in a key Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup Saturday at home in Memorial Stadium.

The 18th-ranked Cardinals improved to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the OAC while the 9th-ranked Polar Bears fell to 1-2 overall and 0-2 in the OAC.

Junior place-kicker David Brewer’s 36-yard field goal in the heavy downpour of rain with 4:34 to play in the game proved to be the winning margin of victory for the Cardinals. Also helping, Ohio Northern missed two extra-point attempts in the game.

Ryan Rowley makes seven catches for 111 yards.

Otterbein sophomore Austin Schlosser, filling in for injured quarterback Jack Rafferty, turned in an impressive performance in his first varsity start. Schlosser completed 10 of 15 pass attempts for 157 yards and one touchdown. He also ran the ball 12 times for 72 yards, including a 2-yard run for a touchdown to give Otterbein a 35-17 lead with 20 seconds remaining in the first half.

Ohio Northern led 10-7 before Otterbein went on its second quarter scoring spree. The Cardinals scored 21 straight points, beginning with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Schlosser to senior running back Eric Yates 30 seconds into the second quarter. Junior running back Colton Coy followed with a 29-yard touchdown run, his second of the afternoon, with 10:51 remaining in the quarter. On the ensuing Ohio Northern possession, Otterbein sophomore linebacker Shane Centers picked off a Kyle Simmons pass and returned it 36 yards for a score to put the Cardinals up, 28-10, with 10:23 to play in the first half.

The Polar Bears finally answered with a score of their own, a 2-yard run by junior running back Brent Donley with 6:46 to play in the half. The Cardinals closed out the half with a 14-play, 67-yard drive, capped off by Schlosser’s 2-yard touchdown run. The drive used up 6:11 on the clock.

The momentum began to shift in Ohio Northern’s direction after junior cornerback Eric Wenzler intercepted a Schlosser pass in the end zone with Otterbein threatening inside the Ohio Northern 10-yard line with 5:57 remaining in the third period. Following the interception, Northern mounted an 11-play, 80-yard drive resulting in a 6-yard touchdown run from junior quarterback Simmons. The extra-point attempt from senior place-kicker Jake Heaphy, however, hit the left goal post to narrow Otterbein’s lead to 35-23 with 2:28 remaining in the third quarter.

The Polar Bears scored again on its next possession, another touchdown run of five yards from Simmons. Once again, the extra-point attempt was no good, and the Cardinals led 35-29 with 9:52 to play.

The Cardinals made it a two-possession game following Brewer’s 36-yard field goal with 4:34 to play. In that drive, senior wide receiver Ryan Rowley caught a pass over the middle on 3rd-and-10 and took it 40 yards to the Ohio Northern 17-yard line.

The Polar Bears scored one more time, to pull within two points, on a 21-yard touchdown reception by junior wide receiver Michael Busch with 2:57 to play.

Following a Schlosser fumble which Ohio Northern recovered on its own 43-yard line with a 1:44 to go, the Polar Bears found new life. But three plays later, Ohio Northern returned the favor as Otterbein senior cornerback Chad Woodfork forced and recovered a fumble to seal the win.

For the third straight game, Otterbein’s Coy hit the 100-yard mark, rushing for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Rowley led the Cardinal receivers with seven receptions for 111 yards.

In addition to his game-saving fumble recovery, Woodfork led the Cardinal defense with 17 tackles. Junior defensive end Chaz Horsley tallied seven stops along with two tackles for a loss, including a pass sack.

Otterbein remains at home next Saturday, hosting Heidelberg in the battle for the Rhine River Cup. It will be Hall of Fame Day at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Cards Take on 9th-Ranked Ohio Northern in Home Opener
written Sept. 24, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—18th-ranked Otterbein takes on 9th-ranked Ohio Northern in its home opener Saturday in Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

The Cardinals, 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), will be without starting quarterback Jack Rafferty, who injured a finger on his throwing hand in last Saturday’s 38-21 win at Muskingum. Sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser is expected to start Saturday.

Running back Colton Coy is averaging over 100 yards rushing per game.

Rafferty had a hand in four touchdowns at Muskingum, throwing for three and running for another. The Cardinals scored 21 points in the last four minutes of the first half to take control of the game. The Otterbein defense picked off three Muskingum passes.

Place-kicker David Brewer, perfect on the day, hit all five extra-point attempts and a 21-yard field goal against the Fighting Muskies to earn OAC special teams player of the week honors.

“Offensively, we did a much better job this past game of being balanced—the first game of the season we really ran the ball,” said head coach Joe Loth, who is in his seventh season at his alma mater.

“Defensively, we’re still firing away a little bit as far as personnel and I think we’ll continue to do that this week,” Loth added. “I was happy with the progress we made on both sides of the ball.”

Otterbein opened the 2009 season with a 28-7 nonconference win at Bethany Sept. 5. The Cardinals scored 21 points in the fourth quarter. Running backs Colton Coy and Eric Yates rushed for over 100 yards each.

Ohio Northern, meanwhile, comes into the game off a 30-10 home loss to defending national champion Mount Union last Saturday in Ada. The Purple Raiders scored the last 20 points in the game, which stood deadlocked, 10-10, at halftime.

The Polar Bears, under sixth-year head coach Dean Paul, were limited offensively against Mount, putting up 80 yards of total offense. Junior quarterback Kyle Simmons completed 8 of 26 pass attempts for 56 yards. Northern scored on a Jake Heaphy 36-yard field goal and an 88-yard kickoff return by J.J. Mihoci.

The Polar Bears opened the season with a solid 28-19 nonconference victory over North Central, ranked No. 4 in the country at the time, Sept. 5 in Ada.

“Ohio Northern, by far, will be the best team we’ve faced so far,” Loth said. “They’re good on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they switched to the spread offense, and are having a tremendous amount of success with that. It’ll be a huge challenge for us.”

Last season in Ada, Otterbein stunned Ohio Northern with a 37-7 victory. Otterbein piled up 382 yards of total offense while the defense recorded three pass sacks, two interceptions and recovered a fumble. Senior place-kicker B.J. Wanninger hit all three of his field-goal attempts to earn OAC special teams player of the week honors. Coy rushed for 129 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown.

Otterbein Opens League Play With Victory at Muskingum
Written Sept. 19, 2009 by Ed Syguda

NEW CONCORD, OHIO—The 19th-ranked Otterbein Cardinals opened Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play with a 38-21 win over Muskingum Saturday in McConagha Stadium.

With the win, the Cardinals improved to 2-0 on the season while Muskingum dropped to 0-2.

Otterbein broke the game wide open, scoring 21 points in the last four minutes of the first half to take a 28-14 lead into the locker room.

The Fighting Muskies enjoyed leads of 7-0 and 14-7 before Otterbein’s 21-point run, which began with a 10-yard touchdown pass from graduate quarterback Jack Rafferty to senior wide receiver Ryan Rowley to tie the game at 14-14 with 4:18 to play in the half.

Otterbein’s next possession resulted in a Rafferty 6-yard touchdown run to cap off a 4-play, 53-yard drive with 1:15 remaining. In that drive, senior tight end Mike Detwiler hauled in a 30-yard reception to put the ball on the Muskingum 23-yard line.

Otterbein’s final possession of the half started at its own 48-yard line following an interception by senior cornerback Chad Woodfork with 51 seconds remaining. Rafferty hooked up with senior wide receiver Tanner McCormick for a 43-yard touchdown bomb with 12 seconds remaining in the half.

The Cardinals put the game out of reach at the end of the third quarter, with an 11-play, 72-yard drive capped off by a Rafferty to McCormick 20-yard touchdown pass deep in the end zone with 23 seconds remaining in the quarter.

Junior place-kicker David Brewer closed out the Otterbein scoring with a 21-yard field goal with 2:42 to play. The Cardinals used up 8:24 on the 14-play, 66-yard drive leading up to the field goal.

Rafferty turned in a good day passing, completing 16 of 27 pass attempts for 230 yards and three touchdowns. He also picked up 56 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

McCormick led the Otterbein receiving corps, catching four balls for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Detwiler finished with a career-high five catches for 74 yards. Rowley made five receptions for 38 yards and one touchdown.

The running back combo of senior Eric Yates and junior Colton Coy combined for 113 yards rushing. Yates carried the ball 10 times for 29 yards and a one-yard score. Coy rushed for 84 yards on 21 carries.

The Cardinal defense picked off Muskingum junior quarterback Jake Burns three times in the game. In addition to Woodfork, senior free safety Danny Lynch and senior strong safety David Ebright each made a pick.

For the second game in a row, senior rover back Terrell White led the defense with 13 tackles, ten of them unassisted. Junior linebacker Cole Edwards and Lynch each made  seven stops in the game.

Brewer, who also handles the punting for Otterbein, made all five of his extra-point attempts along with the 21-yard field goal. He also averaged 44.5 yards on two punts. Senior wide receiver Dan Gendron returned three kickoffs for 75 yards.

Otterbein returns to Westerville for its home opener next Saturday. The Cardinals are scheduled to face 7th-ranked Ohio Northern, who fell today, 30-10, to defending national champion Mount Union. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Memorial Stadium.

Cards Travel to Muskingum in OAC Opener
Writen Sept. 17, 2009 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein, ranked 19^th nationally in the latest D3football.com poll, travels to play Muskingum in its Ohio Athletic Conference opener Saturday, September 19. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 P.M. in McConagha Stadium.

The rivalry between the Cardinals and Fighting Muskies dates back to their first meeting in 1905. Muskingum holds a 39-27-2 advantage in the all-time series.

Two weeks ago, Otterbein opened its season with a 28-7 road win at Bethany (WV), outscoring the Bison 21-0 in the final quarter.

Junior Colton Coy rushed 28 times for 153 yards and two scores to help OC out-gain Bethany 306-167 on the ground. For his efforts, Coy was named the OAC’s Offensive Player of the Week. Senior back Eric Yates also turned in an impressive performance on the ground, gaining 123 yards on 15 carries and adding a touchdown.

“A big part of our offense is being able to utilize Eric and Colton together,” said Cardinal head coach Joe Loth. “You add Jack Rafferty and Dan Gendron to the mix and we have four pretty good ball carriers on the field at the same time.”

Rafferty, a graduate quarterback, did not have the best day of his career against Bethany, completing just 8-of-22 passes for 87 yards and an interception. A Gagliardi Trophy finalist a season ago, Rafferty will look to get back into rhythm with the offense after having an extra week off to prepare for the conference opener.

“Our passing statistics were below average in week one,” Loth said.  “We were obviously working on developing other areas of our offense during that game, but we need to get back to our commitment to being balanced on offense for us to have continued success this season.”

Gendron led all Cardinal receivers in week one with four receptions for 41 yards, with a long of 17.

Senior defensive back Terrell White led the Otterbein defense at Bethany with ten total tackles, while senior linebacker Cole Edwards had nine. White sits eighth in the league in stops while Edwards currently ranks 12^th.

Seniors Chase Bowman and Chad Woodfork also add to a strong secondary. Bowman had seven stops vs. Bethany while Woodfork had six tackles, a forced fumble, and two pass-breakups.

Linebacker Donnie Reinhart recorded six solo tackles in the week one victory.

The Bison did find success against the OC defense, however, as they were able to gain 167 yards rushing on just 30 attempts for an average of 5.6 yds/carry.

The Unit will have to contain one of the more versatile quarterbacks in the OAC in Muskingum junior Jake Burns. Burns, who leads the Muskie spread option attack, went 17-of-30 for one touchdown in the team’s 13-7 loss at Defiance back on September 5. He also rushed 15 times for 46 yards.

“Jake Burns is an athletic quarterback who can create plays with his feet and his arm. Defensively, we need to do a better job stopping the run.”

Muskingum was hurt in its first outing by committing two turnovers on punt returns. Upon entering league play, Loth knows that receiving solid special teams play is valuable to achieving success.

“We are committed as a program in emphasizing our special teams play,” he said. “One of the crucial factors in winning on the road in the OAC is the special-teams battle.”

Otterbein defeated Muskingum 48-7 last year at Memorial Stadium in Westerville behind 119 yards rushing and three touchdowns from Coy. Rafferty also added three touchdowns in that victory, completing 13-of-16 passes for 173 yards.

Senior receiver Ryan Rowley hauled in eight balls for 107 yards and two scores in the game while Yates did not play due to injury.

Cards Move Up to 19th
Released Sept. 14, 2009 by D3football.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Mount Union, UW-Whitewater and Mary Hardin-Baylor remained 1-2-3 in the D3football.com Top 25 and were in that order in nearly unanimous fashion. UMHB was a unanimous No. 3. Mount Union and UW-Whitewater are 1-2 on 23 ballots, the reverse on the other two.

Four new teams enter the poll this week, with Union and Linfield making their season debuts with wins against Top 10 teams.

The full D3football.com Top 25:

#   School (1st votes)       Rec.   Pts   Prev.

1   Mount Union (23)          1-0   623    1
2   UW-Whitewater (2)         2-0   602    2
3   Mary Hardin-Baylor        1-0   575    3
4   Wheaton (Ill.)            1-0   532    5
5   Wesley                    2-0   499    6
6   St. John's                2-0   448   11
7   Ohio Northern             1-0   405    9
8   Washington and Jefferson  2-0   363   10
9   Cortland State            1-0   340   12
10  Case Western Reserve      2-0   335   13
11  Monmouth                  2-0   312   14
12  North Central (Ill.)      1-1   305   15
13  Wabash                    1-0   287   16
14  Linfield                  1-0   259   --
15  Hardin-Simmons            1-1   231    4
16  Central                   2-0   226   25
17  UW-Stevens Point          0-1   198    7
18  St. Thomas                1-0   161   20
19  Otterbein                 1-0   158   21
20  DePauw                    1-0   153   23
21  Occidental                1-0   137   22
22  Union                     1-0   102   --
23  Concordia-Moorhead        2-0    92   --
24  UW-La Crosse              2-0    88   --
25  Ithaca                    1-1    84    8

Dropped out: No. 17 Hobart, No. 18 Montclair State, No. 19 Franklin, No. 24 Salisbury.

Others receiving votes: Franklin 81, Delaware Valley 67, Trine 62, Willamette 52, Redlands 47, Trinity (Texas) 44, Capital 43, Dickinson 35, Rowan 30, Wartburg 24, St. John Fisher 20, Thomas More 18, Wilkes 16, Hobart 16, St. Norbert 11, Hampden-Sydney 11, Bethel 7, UW-Eau Claire 6, Millsaps 4, Austin 4, Mount St. Joseph 3, Christopher Newport 3, Montclair State 2, Mississippi College 2, Carnegie Mellon 1, Whitworth 1.

The D3football.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly.

OAC Names Coy Offensive Player of the Week
Written Sept. 7, 2009 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein junior running back Colton Coy (Frankfort/Adena) has been named the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday morning.

Coy, an All-OAC first team selection last season, opened the 2009 campaign in good form by rushing for 153 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s 28-7 season opening win Saturday at Bethany (WV).

Trailing 7-0 in the second quarter, Coy capped a 10 play, 79 yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run to even the game at 7-7.

With the game still locked at one touchdown a piece early in the fourth quarter, Coy took a handoff from Quarterback Jack Rafferty and scampered 13 yards for the go-ahead score.

After that touchdown, the Cardinals added two more scores en route to a 21 point final quarter and the 28-7 victory.

Coy’s 153 rushing yards came on 28 carries for an average of 5.5 yards per rush.

Otterbein will have the week off before traveling to play Muskingum on Saturday, September 19. Kick-off for that contest is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Cards Start Slow, Finish Strong in Season Opening Win at Bethany
Written Sept. 5, 2009 by Ed Syguda

BETHANY, W. VA.—Otterbein scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to pull out a 28-7 nonconference win over Bethany Saturday afternoon in Bison Stadium.

Bethany took the game’s opening kickoff and mounted a 14-play, 91-yard drive, capped off by a 6-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Solomon Griffin to take a 7-0 lead with 7:14 remaining in the first quarter.

Otterbein, who would score the final 28 points of the game, countered midway through the second quarter when junior running back Colton Coy scored his first of two touchdowns, a 1-yard scamper with 8:59 to play in the first half.

The Bison threatened late in the first half, getting to the Otterbein 8-yard line. Bethany’s 25-yard field goal attempt, however, was blocked by Otterbein sophomores Joe Reed and Steve Kuzyk. The score stood knotted at 7-7 at halftime.

Bethany threatened again on their first drive in the second half, reaching the Otterbein 10-yard line before turning the ball over on downs with an incomplete pass into the end zone.

The Cardinals took to the ground in the fourth quarter, wearing down the Bison to take charge of the game. Otterbein gained 122 rushing yards on 20 carries, throwing the ball just two times in the quarter.

Colton Coy scored on a 13-yard run to put the Cards up for good 14-7 with 13:27 to play in the game. Then on Otterbein’s next possession, Coy carried the ball nine times for 42 yards on a 13-play, 84-yard drive, which ended in a 5-yard touchdown run by senior running back Eric Yates.

Yates scored the game’s final points, an 8-yard run with 2:15 to play, which was set up by an interception from Otterbein junior safety Justin Hochstetler.

Otterbein finished the game with 306 yards on the ground. Coy ran for 153 yards and two TD’s on 28 carries. Yates, too, went over the 100-yard mark, rushing for 122 yards and two TD’s on just 15 carries.

Graduate quarterback Jack Rafferty did not have his best passing day, completing 8 of 22 pass attempts for 87 yards. Senior wide receiver Dan Gendron made four catches for 41 yards to lead the Otterbein receivers.

Senior rover back Terrell White led the Cardinal defense with 10 tackles, including three unassisted. Junior linebacker Cole Edwards made nine stops.

Otterbein, receiving a bye next Saturday, opens Ohio Athletic Conference play at Muskingum Sept. 19.

24th-Ranked Otterbein Opens at Bethany
Written Sept. 4, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Nationally-ranked Otterbein travels to Bethany Saturday to open the 2009 season. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Bison Stadium in Bethany, W. Va.

The Bison, under fourth-year head coach Tim Weaver, are a member of the President’s Athletic Conference (PAC). Bethany finished 3-7 last season and was picked to finish sixth in the PAC at the conference’s media day. This marks the second meeting between the two schools. Otterbein defeated the Bison, 40-7, last season in Westerville.

“We have to do a great job of hanging on to the ball, win the turnover battle, and be outstanding on special teams,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth about the keys for success at Bethany. “We’ll have to be able to run the football and be balanced on offense, and stop their run and control them offensively.”

The Cardinals, ranked as high as 11th in preseason polls, return nine starters, including six All-OAC players and three linemen, to its offense, which is led by 2008 Gagliardi Trophy finalist, quarterback Jack Rafferty. Rafferty, who is working on his MBA at Otterbein, threw for 1,991 yards and 22 touchdowns, finishing the 2008 season with a pass efficiency rating of 160.64 to rank 15th in NCAA Division III.

Although the Cardinals lost five starters on defense, Otterbein does return four of its top six tacklers from last season led by senior cornerback Chad Woodfork, who tallied 49 tackles, four interceptions, and broke up six passes on his way to first team All-OAC honors.

Loth, who is in his seventh season at his alma mater, will be taking a close look at some of the new players stepping into the starting lineup at Bethany.

“We’ve replaced some starters on defense and we’ll see how the new guys really react to starting for the first time,” Loth said. “Offensively we have a lot of continuity back, but we do have a couple of new starters on the offensive line. We’ll be looking to see how those guys mesh together as a unit.

“In the kicking game,” Loth continued, “we graduated B.J. Wanninger, but David Brewer  played a lot last year as the number-two kicker. Just how he comes out and performs will be something we’ll be looking at too.”

The Bison return eight starters on offense, which set school records for points (280) and passing yards (2,548) last season. Sophomore quarterback Chad Smith, who did not play against Otterbein last season, threw for 2,302 yards and 16 touchdowns his freshman season.

Cards Seek to Build Off of Last Season's Success
Written August 24, 2009 by Ed Syguda

Otterbein, coming off its most successful season in school history, finds itself in uncharted waters. The Cardinals, under 2008 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) co-coach of the year Joe Loth, head into 2009 nationally ranked, 11th by Lindy’s and 25th by The Sporting News.

The Cardinals, 9-2 overall and 8-1 in the OAC last season, set school single-season records for best start (8-0), most wins (9), and most points (427). Otterbein advanced into the NCAA Division III Football Championship for the first time in school history.

Loth believes his 2009 squad can build off of last season’s success. “I think our guys utilized the off season and realized what it took to become successful last year,” Loth said. “Also we were disappointed in our finish, losing in the playoffs. We’ve used that disappointment to motivate us for this year.”

Otterbein returns nine starters, including six All-OAC players and three linemen, to its offense, which is led by 2008 Gagliardi Trophy finalist Jack Rafferty. Rafferty, who is working on his MBA at Otterbein, threw for 1,991 yards and 22 touchdowns, finishing the season with a pass efficiency rating of 160.64 to rank 15th in NCAA Division III.

Sophomores Kyle Stoughton and Austin Schlosser are expected to battle for the back-up position at quarterback.

The one-two punch of returning running backs Colton Coy, a junior, and Eric Yates, a senior, should make Rafferty’s job a bit easier in 2009.

“We’ve rotated Eric and Colton in the past couple of years,” Loth said. “When we’re in a two-back offense, they’ll both be on the field. We’re going to try and keep those two guys on the field as much as possible.”

Coy, a first team All-OAC pick in 2008, led Otterbein in scoring with 96 points. He rushed for 846 yards and 13 touchdowns. Yates, who earned second team All-OAC honors, rushed for 659 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

The Cardinals also return five of their top six receivers, including senior all-conference performers Ryan Rowley, Dan Gendron, and Mike Detwiler.

Rowley, a first team All-OAC selection at wide receiver, topped all Otterbein receivers, making 56 catches for 802 yards and seven touchdowns. Gendron, who made 17 catches for 286 yards and three touchdowns, earned first team All-OAC honors for his work on special teams, averaging 26.0 yards over 21 kick returns. Detwiler, a second team all-conference pick, caught 10 balls for 131 yards and two touchdowns from his tight end position.

The Cardinals return three starters to the offensive line, which includes senior right tackle Chris Berndt, senior center Sam Watson, and junior left guard Matt Hochberg. Five players are in the mix for starting roles at right guard and left tackle. They include juniors Arnold Spikes, Kenny Collmar, Quentin Beck, Kasey Fifer, and sophomore Shayne Willis.

Since there are so few changes on the offensive side of the ball, head coach Loth will be able to give a little more attention to the defense where the Cardinals lost four all-conference performers, including first team linebacker Eric Burnsides and first team defensive end Mike King.

“The main difference in this year’s defense is that we’re going to be much more flexible and be able to adapt to what people are doing offensively to us,” Loth said. “We have some guys who can play multiple positions.”

Otterbein does return four of its top six tacklers from last season led by senior cornerback Chad Woodfork, who tallied 49 tackles, four interceptions, and broke up six passes on his way to first team All-OAC honors. Other starters returning to the defensive backfield include senior cornerback Danny Lynch, with 48 tackles a year ago, and junior weak safety Justin Hochstetler, with 63 stops (second best on the team), including five for a loss of 24 yards.

Rounding out the list of six returning starters on defense are senior end Wil Longsdorf, senior tackle Mark Vuich, and senior linebacker Donnie Reinhart. Longsdorf finished 2008 with 59 tackles, including four pass sacks. Vuich made 23 stops, including 3.5 for a loss of 10 yards, while Reinhart tallied 43 tackles, including five for a loss of 26 yards.

Players expected to vie for starting roles include junior defensive end Will Brown, junior defensive tackle Chaz Horsley, junior linebacker Cole Edwards, junior linebacker Joe Overbee, senior strong safety Terrell White, and senior free safety David Ebright.

David Brewer, a junior, is expected to take over punting and place-kicking duties from B.J. Wanninger, who graduated. Otterbein led the OAC and finished third in NCAA Division III in net punting (37.2 yards/punt) last season.

Although Loth acknowledges that much of the preseason recognition his team has received is based largely upon last season’s performance, he thinks his team has a chance to have another standout season.

“We have to stay healthy,” Loth said. “We have to be able to run the ball. We have to be plus-positive in turnovers and our special teams have got to be as good as they were last year.

“If we play up to our ability,” Loth continued, “we should have another good season.”

The Cardinals open the 2009 season at Bethany Sept. 5 before beginning OAC play at Muskingum Sept. 19. Otterbein opens at home with Ohio Northern on Sept. 26.

SportsTime Ohio to Carry OAC Football Preview Show
Written August 24, 2009 by Adam Prescott


WESTERVILLE, OHIO – SportsTime Ohio, a regional cable network that reaches over 2.7 million homes, will carry the 2009 Ohio Athletic Conference Football Preview Show, beginning on August 25^th at 6:30 p.m.

The sixty-minute show will breakdown all ten teams and prepare fans for another exciting football season.

Otterbein was picked to finish second in both the coaches and media polls at the league’s media day.

The OAC football season will kick off on Saturday, September 5.

Other tapings will be shown August 27 at 3:30 a.m., August 28 at midnight, August 29 at 5 p.m., and September 1 at 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.

Otterbein Picked Second in Conference Preseason Polls
Written August 11, 2009

The Cardinals received 280 points in the media poll while earning 73 points, including one first-place vote, in the coaches poll. The coaches and members of the media are not allowed to vote their respective school in the top spot.

Otterbein, which will head into the season ranked in the Top-25 in both the Lindy's and Sporting News national preseason polls, will welcome back a myriad of key contributors from last season's squad that helped the program make its first ever postseason appearance.

Quarterback Jack Rafferty will return for one final season with the Cards.

Headlining those returnees will be quarterback and 2008 Gagliardi Trophy finalist Jack Rafferty, who announced last week that he will not forgo his final year of eligibility and instead return to the program for one last season.

"He is the key to our offense," said head coach Joe Loth. "He is a true natural leader that everyone rallies around. If anyone has attended one of our games, they will realize that the decisions and plays he makes to help us through tough situations are what makes him so valuable."

Also in the offensive backfield, Otterbein will return a pair of All-Conference running backs in junior Colton Coy and senior Eric Yates. The coaching staff plans to use both players in various formations together this season, helping keep the duo on the field at the same time.

In addition, the offense welcomes back five of its top six wide receivers from a season ago, led by another pair of first-team All-OAC selections in seniors Ryan Rowley and Dan Gendron. Gendron served as one of the top kickoff return men in the league last season while Rowley ranked in the top ten in the league in both receptions and receiving yards per game. Senior All-Conference tight end Mike Detwiler will also be back.

"Mike (Detwiler) is probably the most under-utilized player in our offense," said Loth. "He's a talented kid, and I've told him that we need to do a better job of getting him the ball. He's a very good player."

The defensive front, which returns just one starting lineman in senior nose guard Mark Vuich, will now turn to other players with key experience to step in and assume crucial roles.

Senior Donnie Reinhart, who missed last season's playoff game due to injury, will return to anchor the linebacking core.

The secondary will be led by All-OAC defensive back Chad Woodfork in addition to returning safeties Justin Hochstetler, David Ebright, and Danny Lynch. A few other players, including Austin Weaver and Chase Bowman, will compete to start at defensive back opposite Woodfork.

Rowley, who was Otterbein's player representative at media day, reflected on the Cards postseason appearance in 2008 and how it will drive the group to work harder entering this season.

"It's hard to get to that point, as last season was the first time we had ever made it to the playoffs," Rowley explained. "After losing in the first round last year, it has motivated us to lift, run, and work harder so we are able to get back to that point, hopefully win a game, and see what we can do."

With so many Cardinals returning and a few All-America skill players at Mount Union departing, some involved in the media day posed the question of whether there will be a small shrinkage in the gap this season between the Purple Raiders and the second-highest rated team, Otterbein.

"We try not to look ahead to any specific games, but that game is definitely something I am sure a lot of people will look forward to," said Mount Union's Cecil Shorts III, who was named the conference's top wide receiver in 2008. "Jack will be returning, and he will help Otterbein be really good again this year. It should be exciting to see, and it will be fun when we meet."

Loth, however, fully realizes that his group will not automatically experience success this season just because of what the team accomplished a season ago.

"We're excited," Loth said. "We have high expectations, but obviously everyone is now 0-0 again. Our guys cannot think that we will just start higher because of where we finished last season. We have to come out of the box playing well, as we have a challenging schedule like every other team in the league.... but we are looking forward to the challenge."

Defending and ten-time national champion Mount Union was picked to finish first in both polls, receiving all 32 first-place votes in the media poll and nine in the coaches. The remainder of the preseason voting went as follows: (first place votes in parentheses).

Coaches Poll                        Media Poll
 
1 Mount Union  81 (9)               1 Mount Union  320 (32)
2 Otterbein  73 (1)                 2 Otterbein 280
3 Ohio Northern  58                 3 Baldwin-Wallace  217
4 Baldwin-Wallace  51               4 Capital  212
5 Capital  49                       5 Ohio Northern  209
6 John Carroll  43                  6 John Carroll  182
7 Heidelberg 35                     7 Heidelberg  119
8 Wilmington  30                    8 Wilmington  95
9 Muskingum  18                     9 Muskingum  69
10 Marietta  12                     10 Marietta  57

Cards Make Top-25 Preseason Polls
Written June 04, 2009

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Otterbein football team heads into the 2009 season ranked in the Top-25 by both Lindy’s and The Sporting News in a pair of preseason polls.

The Cardinals ranked 11th by Lindy’s and 25th by The Sporting News. Defending NCAA D-III champion and Ohio Athletic Conference opponent Mount Union checked in at No. 1 at Lindy’s and ranked second in The Sporting News.

“Being ranked nationally preseason is usually a reflection of your past season,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth. “Hopefully it reinforces our current expectations of our players and coaches as we head towards next season and provides motivation this summer.”

The recognition marks the first time in recent history that the team has been nationally ranked to begin a season.

The Cardinals, 9-2 overall and 8-1 in the OAC, made history last season, setting school single-season records for best start (8-0), most wins (9), and most points (427). Otterbein advanced into the NCAA Division III Football Championship for the first time in school history.

Six Players Named to OhioCollegeFootball.com Teams
Written March 03, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Six Otterbein players were named to OhioCollegeFootball.com NCAA Division III teams while head coach Joe Loth was selected Coach of the Year, the web site released Sunday.

The Cardinals landed one player on the first team and five on the second team.

Left tackle Andy Fries was named to the first team offense.

Running back Colton Coy, wide receiver Ryan Rowley and place-kicker B.J. Wanninger earned second team honors on offense. Middle linebacker Eric Burnsides and cornerback Chadric Woodfork were named to the second team defense. 

The complete teams can be accessed at http://www.ohiocollegefootball.com. Subscription to the site is free.

Coaches Name Rafferty MVP at Award's Banquet--69 Earn Letters
Written Jan. 27, 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty was named the team’s Most Valuable Player at the annual football award’s banquet, which was held Sunday in Otterbein’s Rike Center.

Sixty-nine players received letters at the banquet.

Rafferty, a graduate student from Columbus (Dublin Coffman High School), ranked 10th in NCAA Division-III with a passing efficiency rating of 160.6. A second team All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) pick, Rafferty threw for 22 touchdowns in 2008, second best in the OAC. The quarterback was one of ten finalists for the 2008 Gagliardi Award, presented to the best player in NCAA Division III.

In addition to Rafferty, other players receiving special honors were: left tackle Andy Fries, Most Valuable Offensive Lineman; wide receiver Ryan Rowley, Most Valuable Offensive Skill; defensive end Mike King and middle linebacker Eric Burnsides, Co-Most Valuable Defensive Front Six; cornerback Chad Woodfork, Most Valuable Defensive Secondary; place-kicker and punter B.J. Wanninger, Most Valuable Special Teams; and fullback Brady Collins, Harry Ewing Award.

Fries, a senior from Norwalk, earned third team D3football.com All-America honors and was recipient of the 2008 Ken Wable Award, given to the most outstanding offensive lineman in the OAC.

Rowley, a junior from Grove City, earned first team All-OAC honors this season. He ranked third in receiving yardage (72.9 yards/game) and seventh in receptions (5.1/game) in the OAC.

King, a senior from Dresden (Tri-Valley), led the OAC with five fumble recoveries and led Otterbein with 8.5 tackles for a loss. He was also a first team All-OAC and a third team D3football.com All-North selection in 2008.

Burnsides, a senior from Columbus (Worthington Kilbourne), earned first team All-OAC honors and led the Cardinals in tackles, with 72, and finished second in tackles for a loss, with 8.0.

Woodfork, a junior from Columbus (South), made one interception in each of the first three games of the season. A first team All-OAC selection, the cornerback led Otterbein with four interceptions and six passes broken-up.

Wanninger, a senior from Cincinnati (LaSalle), led the OAC in points by a place-kicker, with 77. The first team All-OAC and third team D3football.com All-North pick set an Otterbein single-season record with 50 kicked extra points. Otterbein led the OAC in net punting (37.2 yards/punt).

Collins, a senior from Galena (Olentangy), garnered the Harry Ewing Award for his leadership and dedication to Otterbein football, both on and off the field of play.

Fries Earns D3football.com All-America Honors
Written Dec. 22, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Andy Fries, a senior offensive tackle from Norwalk (Norwalk High School), was named third team All-America by D3football.com, the web site release Saturday.

The senior captain received the Ken Wable Award this season, presented to the most outstanding offensive lineman in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Fries graded out at 82 percent and allowed just one pass sack in 2008. He was also named first team All-OAC.

The Cardinal offensive unit ranked second in the OAC in rushing (187.7 yards/game) and scoring (38.8 points/game); and third in total offense (378.4 yards/game) this season. Otterbein ranked 14th in scoring, 49th in rushing, and 63rd in total offense among all teams in NCAA Division III.

The Cardinals, 9-2 overall and 8-1 in the OAC, made history this season, setting school single-season records for best start (8-0), most wins (9), and most points (427); and advanced into the NCAA Division III Football Championship for the first time in school history. Otterbein’s lone regular-season loss came at the hands of national champion Mount Union.

Three Named to D3football.com All-North Region Team
Written Dec. 10, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—D3football.com named three members of the Otterbein football team to its All-North Region team, released today by D3football.com.

Andy Fries, a senior offensive tackle from Norwalk (Norwalk High School), earned second team honors. The senior captain received the Ken Wable Award this season, presented to the most outstanding offensive lineman in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Fries was also named first team All-OAC. He graded out at 82 percent and allowed just one pass sack in 2008.

B.J. Wanninger, a senior place-kicker/punter from Cincinnati (LaSalle), and Mike King, a senior defensive end from Dresden (Tri-Valley), earned third team honors.

Wanninger, a first team All-OAC pick this season, leads the OAC place-kickers in scoring with 77 points. He made nine of 12 field-goal attempts, including a 23-yarder in overtime at John Carroll in the final game of the season, sending Otterbein to its first appearance in the NCAA Division III Football Championship. Wanninger averaged 40.3 yards a punt as Otterbein concluded the season ranked third in net punting in NCAA D-III.

King, who also earned first team All-OAC honors this season, leads the OAC with five fumble recoveries. The captain made 48 tackles, including 21 unassisted. King led his team with 8.5 tackles for a loss of 38 yards. He was credited with four pass sacks.

Rafferty Named One of Ten Finalists For Gagliardi Trophy
Written Nov. 26, 2008 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty has been named one of ten finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, recognizing the nation’s top well rounded Division III football player. The award has been in existence since 1993 and recognizes the top individual achiever in athletics, academics and community service.

Rafferty, who was selected to the 2008 All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) second team, ranked 12th in the country with a passing efficiency rating of 160.6. This season, he threw for 1,990 yards and 22 touchdowns, which ranked him second best in the league. The Columbus native also finished the season holding a .580 completion percentage and only tossed five interceptions.

This past weekend, Rafferty threw for 336 yards and five touchdowns--both career highs--on 20-of-42 passing in a loss to Franklin in the first round of the NCAA D-III playoffs.

An offensive player will most definitely receive the honor next month in Salem, Virginia, as nine quarterbacks and one running back make up the finalists.

In addition to Rafferty, this year’s finalists include: Augsburg quarterback Jordan Berg, Hartwick quarterback Jason Boltus, Hardin-Simmons quarterback Justin Feaster, Millsaps quarterback Juan Joseph, Mount Union quarterback Greg Micheli, Franklin quarterback Chad Rupp, North Central running back Dominic Sulo, Washington and Jefferson quarterback Bobby Swallow and Case Western Reserve quarterback Dan Whalen.

For the second year in a row, Division III football fans are able to cast a ballot for the Gagliardi Trophy. The combined votes of fans through this voting page will count as one vote towards the final result.

Four players will be named regional winners on December 11, with the trophy being presented to the winner on December 18.

Otterbein Bows Out of NCAA Playoffs
Written Nov. 22, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein’s historic season came to an end Saturday at the hands of visiting Franklin, who erupted for 48 points in the second half on its way to a 62-45 win in the first round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship.

The 18th-ranked Grizzlies, who improved to 10-1, advance to the second round of the NCAA playoffs and will play at North Central, a 44-23 winner today over Thomas More, next Saturday. Otterbein, ranked 10th by D3football.com, finishes the season at 9-2.

It was a tale of two halves. Both teams scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter and the score stood at 14-14 at intermission.

In the second half, the offenses began to click. The two teams combined for 44 points while the lead changed hands five times in the third quarter.

Otterbein took its final lead of the game, 31-28, on a 22-yard scoring strike from junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty to junior wide receiver Ray Welch with 2:50 to play in the third quarter.

Franklin, scoring on four of its next five possessions, regained the lead for good with a 23-yard pass from senor quarterback Chad Rupp to senior wingback Logan Deffner, making it 34-31 with 1:33 remaining in the third period. The Rupp to Logan combination was a familiar one on the day as the pair accounted for five Franklin touchdowns in the game.

It was still a three-point game early in the fourth quarter. Otterbein sophomore running back Colton Coy caught a 6-yard pass from Rafferty to narrow Franklin’s lead to 41-38 with 12:49 to go in the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies, however, scored the next 21 points to put the game out of reach.

Rupp finished the day with 527 yards and seven touchdowns on 41-of-62 passing. He also rushed for 49 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown run. Deffner and senior wide receiver Kevin Lynch, each made 10 receptions in the game. Deffner tallied 164 yards along with the five TD’s.

Otterbein’s Rafferty completed 20 of 42 pass attempts for 336 yards and five touchdowns—both season highs. The quarterback scored on a 10-yard run, finishing with 13 yards on nine carries.

Coy and junior wide receiver Tanner McCormick each caught a pair of touchdowns. Coy caught three balls for 20 yards, including TD’s of three and six yards. McCormick tallied five receptions for 96 yards, including touchdowns of 41 and 14 yards.

Junior running back Eric Yates ran for 49 yards on 14 carries for the Cardinals, who rushed for a season-low 71 yards.

Senior Class Helps Program Make History
Written Nov. 17, 2008 b Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Otterbein football team will do something this weekend that it has never done before—take the field in postseason play. After finishing with a 9-1 record this season, the 10th-ranked Cardinals will host Franklin (IN) in the opening round of the NCAA Division III football championship. 

Head Coach Joe Loth will also be coaching in his first career playoff game, and is very familiar with the road the program has had to travel in order to arrive at this point.

“We’ve gone from a last-place program to making the playoffs in six years,” said Loth. “It hasn’t been easy, but the journey has been exciting. We have recruited very good players and worked hard to develop them. We’ve been able to retain the majority of good players and it has led to a winning formula.”

One of those players is senior offensive lineman Andy Fries, who has been a crucial member of an offensive unit that recently set the school record for most points in a season.

“Offenses have times where people complain about getting the ball, but nobody on our team is really too greedy,” explained Fries. “The guys understand that the offense has certain spots where it’s going to hit or miss. Everybody knows their role and it works really well because of that.”

However, many football fans love to say that defense wins championships. This season the Cardinal defense has accepted the challenge of competing week in and week out in an extremely tough Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC).

"We have linchpins at every position,” said senior linebacker Eric Burnsides. “Guys have stepped up and made plays when they’ve needed to at every layer of our defense. If you look at our tackling statistics this season, they are much more spread out than they have been in the past.”

The success on both sides of the ball has created excitement within the locker room for both the players and coaches.

"I think our guys are as excited as any team that has made the playoffs,” Loth said. “The opportunity and the reward of having a successful season allows us to keep on playing.”

The excitement has not only been built in the locker room, but around campus as well.

“Professors have encouraged us to keep it going and tell us how proud they are,” Fries said. “It really makes a difference because in past years they may have just been trying to be nice with encouragement. This season we know they really mean it.”

While many around campus are proud of the entire program, a special appreciation should be held for the senior class. Since coming to Westerville as freshman, the class has posted a 25-15 record, which is the best since the 1977 freshman class. They have also finished in the top half of the OAC three out of their four years, something that has only been done one other time, 23 years ago.

“The program has come a long way since we arrived,” said Fries. “We went 7-3 our freshman year and had high hopes for the next season, but then went 4-6. This has all been a reflection of what our senior class is about. We had two rough seasons as sophomores and juniors, but we’ve gotten back to where we’ve wanted to be.”

It was the possibility of rewarding experiences that drove Burnsides to become a Cardinal.

“I was hoping that by the time I was a senior we would make it to the playoffs,” said the Columbus native. “One reason I wanted to come to Otterbein is because I felt it’s a lot harder to build a program than to hop on a train that’s already moving with a full head of steam. Everything has fallen into place for us.”

Come Saturday, many on the team know they will be creating a special memory for Cardinal fans and members of the Westerville community who have watched the program blossom.

“There were good teams at Otterbein back when the playoffs were not around, but it’s still incredible,” Fries explained. “Fifty years down the road when we come back and watch, we’ll be able to say we were that first class that made a difference in the school's football program.”
 

Wanninger and King Earn OAC Player of the Week Honors
Written Nov. 17, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—B.J. Wanninger, a senior place-kicker/punter from Cincinnati (LaSalle High School), and Mike King, a senior defensive end from Dresden (Tri-Valley), earned Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) player of the week honors in football, the OAC released today.

The pair came up with big plays in overtime to lift 10th-ranked Otterbein to a 20-17 win over John Carroll Saturday in University Heights. Wanninger kicked a 23-yard field goal to open the first overtime period, and King recovered a John Carroll fumble to seal the win for Otterbein.

Wanninger, who was named the special team’s player of the week, hit both of his field goal attempts, and both of his extra-point attempts against the Blue Streaks. Wanninger nailed a 25-yard field goal in the third quarter to give the Cardinals a 17-7 lead.

King, who was named defensive player of the week, finished the game with eight tackles, including two for a loss of 11 yards.

Cards to Host Franklin in NCAA Opening Round
Written Nov. 16, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—The 2008 Otterbein College football team continues to make school history, becoming the first team from the college to advance into the NCAA Division III Football Championship.

The Cardinals, one of six teams to receive an at-large bid, will host Franklin (IN) Saturday, beginning at noon in Memorial Stadium.

Otterbein, under sixth-year head coach Joe Loth, wrapped up the regular season with a 20-17 single-overtime win Saturday at John Carroll. The Cardinals finished at 9-1 overall, and in second place at 8-1, one game behind Mount Union, in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC).

Franklin, under sixth-year head coach Mike Leonard, closed out the regular season with a 34-0 win over Hanover (IN) Saturday at home. The Grizzlies, 9-1 overall, earned an automatic bid into the playoffs by winning the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference championship with a perfect 7-0 record.

The two teams share one common opponent. Franklin opened the 2008 season with a 42-35 home win over Baldwin-Wallace.

Cards Hold off John Carroll 20-17 for School Record 9th Win
Written Nov. 15, 2008 by Ed Syguda

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, OHIO—Otterbein’s record-setting ninth win of the season went down to the wire as the Cardinals turned back John Carroll, 20-17, in single overtime Saturday afternoon in University Heights.

Mike King returns the fumble in overtime.

Senior place-kicker B.J. Wanninger kicked a 23-yard field goal in the first overtime period and the Cardinal defense held. On John Carroll’s ensuing possession, Eric Burnsides stripped junior quarterback Jeff Javorek of the ball and senior defensive end Mike King recovered the loose football to seal the deal and a potential at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship.

The 32-team field for the NCAA championship will be announced Sunday between 3 and 3:30 p.m., Eastern Time, by ESPNews, which can be found on some cable systems, DirectTV at channel 207, and Dish Network at channel 142.

With the win, Otterbein improved to 9-1 overall and concluded the regular season in second place in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) at 8-1. Nine wins is an Otterbein single-season record. John Carroll dropped to 5-5 overall, finishing in a three-way tie for fifth place in the OAC at 4-5.

“We knew we were going to have to earn this win against John Carroll,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth, who is in his sixth season at his alma mater. “I was extremely proud of our guys, on both sides of the ball. We battled to the end and we pulled off a crucial victory.”

The 14th-ranked Cardinals took a 17-7 lead into the fourth quarter on a pair of scoring strikes of seven and two yards from junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty to senior wide receiver Dan Gendron, both coming in the second quarter. Wanninger added a 25-yard field goal with 2:02 to play in the third quarter.

Ryan Rowley comes down with a reception.

John Carroll scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime. Senior place-kicker Josiah Kedzior hit a 23-yard field goal and Javorek scored on a 4-yard run with 3:43 to play in the game.

Otterbein finished the day with 313 yards of total offense. Rafferty, despite the rain and sleet, completed 17 of 30 pass attempts for 199 yards and two touchdowns in the win. He also rushed for 35 yards on 15 carries.

Sophomore running back Colton Coy rushed for 68 yards on 18 carries as John Carroll held the Cardinals to 114 rushing yards. Otterbein entered the game averaging almost 209 yards an outing.

Junior wide receiver Ryan Rowley made five receptions for 74 yards, including a long of 35 yards. Gendron finished with 44 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions.

Cards Travel to John Carroll for Final Regular-Season Game
Written Nov. 14, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, seeking to gain a spot in the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs, closes out regular-season play at John Carroll Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

The 14th-ranked Cardinals, in the midst of a record-setting season, sit second in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) at 7-1, holding a full three-game lead over a pack of five schools, including John Carroll, that share third place at 4-4. Otterbein, 8-1 overall, needs just one more win to set a school record for most wins in a season.

Although Otterbein has a lot riding on this game, Otterbein head coach Joe Loth has cautioned his players to keep things in perspective.

“We have to treat this like any other game,” said Loth, who is in his sixth season at his alma mater. “We have to go out there and do the things we have been doing all year long to win games.”

Otterbein comes into the game off a 49-20 loss to top-ranked Mount Union last Saturday in Westerville. Sophomore running back Colton Coy led the Cardinals with 75 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries, and also threw a 4-yard touchdown pass. Senior middle linebacker Eric Burnsides made eight solo tackles along with four assists.

John Carroll, meanwhile, lost its third-straight game, 15-14, at Muskingum last Saturday. The Blue Streaks, under 10th-year head coach Regis Scafe, led the Fighting Muskies, 14-0, with 14:50 to play in the second quarter.

After opening OAC play with a 21-17 loss at league-rival Baldwin-Wallace, The Blue Streaks rattled off wins over Heidelberg, 17-15, Wilmington, 31-17, Marietta, 31-6, and Capital, 13-3, before setbacks against Ohio Northern, 21-14, and Mount Union, 41-7.

“John Carroll might have the second-best defense we’ve faced so far this season,” Loth said. “We have to be ready for their hurry-up, no huddle offense they used last week against Muskingum.”

Otterbein heads into the game sitting first or second in 10 major team categories in the OAC. The Cardinals lead the OAC in net punting (37.0 yards/return), punt returns (10.4 yards/return), kickoff returns (23.9 yards/return), turnover margin (plus 1.7/game), and sacks allowed (1.0/game).

The Cards rank second in rushing offense (208.9 yards/game), scoring offense (40.2 points/game), passing efficiency (165.6), scoring defense (15.0 points/game), and pass efficiency defense (109.7).

Nationally, in NCAA Division III, the Cardinals rank among the top 15 in scoring offense (13th), net punting (4th), kickoff returns (15th), turnover margin (6th), passing efficiency (9th), and sacks (10th). Junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty sits eighth, nationally, with a pass efficiency rating of 169. Gendron ranks 21st in kickoff returns, averaging 27.4 yards.

Last season in Westerville, John Carroll tripped up Otterbein, 35-33, in a game that wasn’t decided until after three overtime periods.
 

Cards Fall to Top-Ranked Mount Union
Written Nov. 8, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Top-ranked Mount Union took over first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) with a 49-20 win over 12th-ranked Otterbein Saturday afternoon in Memorial Stadium.

Mount Union QB Greg Micheli just gets the pass off, avoiding a sack from blitzing linebacker Corey Spellman.

The Cardinals, 8-1 overall and 7-1 in the OAC, slipped into second place with a full three-game lead over a pack of five schools locked in a tie for third place, each 4-4 in league play. Otterbein is scheduled to close out regular-season play next Saturday at John Carroll (5-4, 4-4), who lost today, 15-14, at Muskingum.

Otterbein’s bid for an upset win turned sour at the start as the Cardinals fumbled on the opening kickoff. Mount Union covered 31 yards on two plays, culminating with a 22-yard scoring strike from senior quarterback Greg Micheli to junior wide receiver Cecil Shorts and the Purple Raiders led, 7-0, 48 seconds into the game.

The Cardinals countered quickly, mounting a nine play, 70-yard drive, capped off by a 1-yard run by sophomore running back Colton Coy to tie the score at 7-7 with 8:31 to play in the first quarter.

The Purple Raiders scored on their next four possessions, however, and led, 35-13 at the half.

Senior running back Nate Kmic opened and closed Mount Union’s four scoring possessions with runs of 56 and one yards. The other two scores came from Micheli, a 10-yard run, and Shorts, a 16-yard reception. Otterbein’s Coy broke up the Mount Union scoring with a 1-yard rushing touchdown with 11:33 to play in the second quarter.

Kmic and Shorts each scored again in the second half, extending Mount Union’s lead to 49-13 with 14:07 to play in the fourth quarter. Junior wide receiver Tanner McCormick caught a 4-yard pass from Coy for Otterbein’s final score with 5:12 remaining in the game.

Mount Union, who leads NCAA Division III in total offense and total defense, finished with 514 yards of offense. Otterbein ended the day with 190 yards of total offense, with 117 yards coming on the ground.

Coy led the Cardinals with 75 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. He also threw a 4-yard touchdown pass. Junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty threw for 69 yards on 4-of-12 passing, and ran for 29 yards on six carries.

Kmic and Shorts tallied three touchdowns apiece for the Purple Raiders. Kmic finished with 166 rushing yards on 25 carries while Shorts caught nine balls for 170 yards. Micheli completed 20 of 27 pass attempts for 297 yards and three touchdowns.

Senior middle linebacker Eric Burnsides made eight solo tackles along with four assists to lead the Otterbein defense.

Pair Selected to ESPN The Magazine Academic Team
Written Nov. 6, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—B.J. Wanninger, a senior from Cincinnati, Ohio (LaSalle High School), and Nicholas Stelzer, a sophomore from Delaware, Ohio (Hayes High School), were named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV teams in football as selected by the College Sports Information Director’s of America (CoSIDA), released today by CoSIDA.

Wanninger was named to the first team and is now eligible for Academic All-America consideration. Stelzer earned second team honors.

Wanninger, a three-year starter, handles the place-kicking and punting duties for the 12th-ranked Cardinals. He leads the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) in scoring by a place-kicker, averaging 7.2 points a game. He has made six of nine field-goal attempts, and 40 of 43 extra-point attempts.

The place-kicker is majoring in life science and has made the Otterbein Dean’s List five times.

Stelzer, a back-up tackle on the defensive line, also serves as Otterbein’s long and short snapper. He has made eight tackles this season.

The defensive lineman is majoring in accounting and has made the Otterbein Dean’s List two times.

Academic All-District IV team members are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. District IV encompasses the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Cards, Purple Raiders to Battle for 1st Place in the OAC
Written Nov. 4, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, off to its best start in school history, hosts the Purple Raiders of Mount Union College, 1:30 p.m., Saturday in an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) game. The winner takes sole possession of first place in the OAC.

The 12th-ranked Cardinals, a perfect 8-0 overall, share first place with top-ranked Mount Union (8-0), each 7-0 in the OAC. Otterbein will be seeking to end a 30-year drought—its last win over Mount Union coming in 1977.

Otterbein matched the school record for most wins in a season and set a school record for best start to a season with a 55-0 shutout over Marietta last Saturday at home. Running backs Eric Yates, a junior, and Colton Coy, a sophomore, combined for 233 yards and four touchdowns.

Mount Union, under 23rd-year head coach Larry Kehres, extended its regular-season winning streak to 31 games with a 41-7 win over John Carroll last Saturday in Alliance. The Raiders have not lost a regular-season game since Nov. 22, 2005, a 21-14 decision to Ohio Northern at home.

The Purple Raiders, according to Otterbein head coach Joe Loth, who is in his sixth season at his alma mater, have no weaknesses.

“Mount Union has an all-conference type of player at all 22 positions, and some all-conference type guys that come in and back them up,” Loth said. “They really don’t have any weaknesses on offense or defense. We will have to be sound on both sides of the ball. Just play smart football.”

Shutting down Mount Union’s big-play opportunities ranks high on Loth’s priority list as Otterbein prepares for Saturday’s game.

“Mount Union has a history of getting big leads quickly on big plays on both sides of the ball,” Loth said. “We have to do a good job in not giving up any big plays, especially right off the bat.”

The Raiders come into the game leading NCAA Division III in total offense (544.0 yards/game) and total defense (164.9 yards/game). The team also ranks second in scoring offense (46.3 points/game) and first in scoring defense (5.0 points/game).

The Cardinals, meanwhile, rank among the nation’s top ten in six major categories. The Cardinals rank third in net punting (37.4 yards/return); fourth in scoring defense (10.8 points/game) and turnover margin (plus 1.8/game); sixth in passing efficiency (170.3) and sacks (3.6/game); and 10th  in scoring offense (42.8 points/game).

The Otterbein/Mount Union matchup features some of the best players in NCAA Division III. Mount Union senior quarterback Greg Micheli leads the nation with a 218 pass efficiency rating. Otterbein junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty checks in at the sixth spot, nationally, with a 176.4 rating. Raider senior running back Nate Kmic ranks 10th in all-purpose running (192.6 yards/game) and is tied for third in scoring (16.5 points/game).

Cards Set School Record in 55-0 Win Over Marietta
Written Nov. 1, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, off to its best start in school history, rolled past Marietta, 55-0, Saturday in Memorial Stadium. The Cardinals set a school record for best start to a season, and tied the school record for most wins in a season.

Wil Longsdorf brings down Marietta quarterback Dexter Hughes. Click for More Game Day Photos

With the win, 15th-ranked Otterbein improved to 8-0 overall and 7-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) and remains in a first-place tie with top-ranked Mount Union (8-0, 7-0), who defeated John Carroll, 41-7, Saturday at home in Alliance.

The tie at the top of the OAC will be broken next Saturday when the Cardinals host the Purple Raiders, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Memorial Stadium ticket office. Tickets will also be available Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m.

The Cardinals started slowly, the first score—a 1-yard run by junior running back Eric Yates—came with 3:38 to play in the first quarter. Otterbein scored on its next two possessions, a 13-yard run and a 2-yard run, both from sophomore running back Colton Coy, to take a 21-0 lead into the locker room at the half.

Then the bottom fell out for the visiting Pioneers, who dropped to 2-6 overall and 1-6 in OAC play. Otterbein scored on its first five possessions of the second half—four of them coming in the third quarter.

Sophomore wide receiver Ray Welch scored on a 68-yard pass from junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty, and Coy followed with his third TD of the game, a 21-yard run with 8:27 to play in the third quarter.

Junior wide receiver Ryan Rowley added a 14-yard TD reception, and, two minutes later, senior linebacker Corey Spellman returned an interception 42 yards for a score to give Otterbein a 48-0 lead with 4:41 to play in the third quarter. Senior fullback Brady Collins finished the Otterbein scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run with 13:46 to play in the game.

Both Yates and Coy went over the 100-yard rushing mark. Yates led all running backs with 125 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries. Coy finished with 107 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. As a team, Otterbein rushed for 285 yards compared to just 126 yards in the air.

Rafferty, who threw for 126 yards and two touchdowns, attempted just nine passes on the day, completing six.

The Otterbein defense, recording its first shutout of the season, pressured Marietta’s quarterbacks throughout, recording three interceptions and five pass sacks. The Cardinals also recovered one fumble.

Cards to Host Marietta in Potential Record Setter
Written Oct. 30, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, off to its best start in school history, hosts the Pioneers of Marietta College, 1:30 p.m., Saturday in an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) game.

The Cardinals, a perfect 7-0, share first place with Mount Union (7-0), each 6-0 in the OAC. Marietta, 2-5 overall, sits in a three-way tie for eighth place with Heidelberg (2-5) and Muskingum (2-5), each 1-5 in the OAC.

The 15th-ranked Cardinals matched 1961’s record 7-0 start with a convincing 38-9 win at cross-town rival Capital last Saturday. A win Saturday would mark Otterbein’s best start in school history and equal the school record for most wins in a season.

Head coach Joe Loth, in his sixth season at his alma mater, however, is paying little attention to the record books.

“I really try not to think about it,” Loth said. “Success is funny. When you’re in-season, you’re in such a routine, such a project oriented one week at a time process that you don’t think about all that outside stuff. Maybe after the season, we can look back and appreciate it a little bit.”

Marietta, under first-year head coach Jeff Filkovski, picked up its first conference win, a 30-22 verdict over Muskingum last Saturday at home. Freshman wide receiver Jahmaal Jones caught a pair of second half touchdown passes of eight and 21 yards from freshman quarterback Andrew Keller in the win.

Otterbein, meanwhile, used big plays in its win over Capital. Senior wide receiver Dan Gendron scored on a 92-yard kickoff return and was named OAC “player of the week” on special teams.

Junior wide receivers Tanner McCormick and Ryan Rowley caught passes of 74 and 68 yards, respectively, to set up two 1-yard touchdown runs from junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty, who was named “player of the game” by the Otterbein coaching staff.

Positional players of the game were senior tackle Jamie Albert (offensive line), Rowley (offensive skill), senior end Mike King (defensive front six), sophomore defensive back Justin Hochstetler (defensive secondary), and Gendron (special teams).

Otterbein entered the week sitting first or second in 11 major team categories in the OAC. The Cardinals lead the OAC in net punting (36.9 yards/return), kickoff returns (24.2 yards/return), turnover margin (plus 1.6/game), and sacks allowed (1.0/game). The Cards rank second in rushing offense (211.1 yards/game), scoring offense (41.0 points/game), passing efficiency (167.4), rushing defense (95.4 yards/game), total defense (270.0 yards/game), scoring defense (12.3 points/game), and pass efficiency defense (104.0).

Nationally, in NCAA Division III, the Cardinals rank among the top 25 in scoring offense (12th), scoring defense (10th), net punting (7th), kickoff returns (19th), turnover margin (9th), passing efficiency (9th), and sacks (14th). Junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty sits sixth, nationally, with a pass efficiency rating of 172.4. Gendron ranks 15th in kickoff returns.

Marietta heads into the game averaging 279.1 yards a game in total offense and 394 yards in total defense.

Otterbein won last season’s meeting with Marietta, 41-23, on the road.

“Marietta is coming off a huge win against Muskingum,” Loth said. “They’re going to come in here with a lot of confidence. Our guys realize that this is a team that we have to take seriously and be ready to play on Saturday.”

Following Marietta, Otterbein remains at home, hosting top-ranked Mount Union Nov. 8, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Marietta is scheduled to host Heidelberg.

OAC Names Gendron Special Teams Player of the Week
Written Oct. 27, 2008 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein senior wide receiver Dan Gendron (Newport, Mich./Jefferson) has been named the Ohio Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.

With the Cardinals ahead 7-3 early in the second quarter of Saturday’s game against cross-town rival Capital, Gendron took a kickoff and returned it 92 yards for an Otterbein touchdown. The score extended the Cardinal lead to 14-3 right after the Crusaders had kicked a field goal on the previous possession.

Gendron has caught 12 balls for 204 yards and one touchdown this season, including a long reception of 41 yards. His 359 yards on 13 kickoff returns for an average of 27.6 yards per return currently ranks him first in the conference.

Otterbein will host Marietta this Saturday. Kick-off from Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
 

Cards Close in on School Record with 38-9 Win at Capital
Written Oct. 25, 2008 by Ed Syguda

BEXLEY, OHIO—Otterbein, moving one game closer to its best start in school history, remained unbeaten, cruising past cross-town rival Capital, 38-9, Saturday afternoon on the road in Bexley.

David Wise brings down Derick Alexander on a kickoff return.

With the win, 18th-ranked Otterbein improved to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), sharing the league lead with top-ranked Mount Union (7-0, 6-0), a 55-0 winner over Wilmington today in Wilmington. The Cardinals have now won three of the last four meetings with the Crusaders.

The Cardinals, who have matched 1961’s record 7-0 start, will have a chance to break it when they host Marietta (2-5, 1-5) next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in Memorial Stadium.

Otterbein used the big play to break the game open.

Senior wide receiver Dan Gendron got the big plays rolling, returning a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown to give Otterbein a 14-3 lead with 13:19 to play in the second period. Capital place-kicker Garrett Bennington had just hit a 27-yard field goal one play earlier.

The Crusaders scored on their next possession, a 4-yard touchdown reception from sophomore quarterback Nick Alexander to junior wide receiver Evan Blake to make it 14-9 with 10:01 to play in the period.

That would be Capital’s last score.

Otterbein junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty sandwiched a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs around the half to put the game out of reach. The first, coming with 1:04 to play in the first half, was set up by a 74-yard reception by junior wide receiver Tanner McCormick. Junior wide receiver Ryan Rowley caught a 68-yard pass to set up Rafferty’s second score, making it 28-9 with 9:32 remaining in the third period.

Senior place-kicker and punter B.J. Wanninger added a 35-yard field goal, and junior tight end Mike Detwiler caught a 4-yard pass from Rafferty with 6:07 to play in the game to close out the Otterbein scoring.

Rafferty, who ranks sixth for passing efficiency in NCAA Division III, completed 13 of 21 pass attempts for 253 yards and one touchdown. He finished with 35 yards and a pair of TD’s on 12 carries.

Rowley led all receivers with eight receptions for 114 yards.

Sophomore running back Colton Coy rushed for 63 yards on 14 carries. Junior running back Eric Yates was right behind with 61 yards on 15 carries. Yates scored Otterbein’s first touchdown of the game, a 7-yard run with 2:34 to play in the first period.

The Otterbein defense held Capital to 182 yards of total offense, a season best for the Cardinals. The squad tallied eight tackles for a loss of 35 yards, including four pass sacks.

Senior defensive end Mike King led Otterbein with eight tackles. Sophomore defensive back Justin Hochstetler intercepted one pass and broke up two others; and made one pass sack for a loss of six yards.

Cards Travel to Capital for Key OAC Showdown
Written Oct. 23, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, seeking to extend its win streak to seven, travels cross town to face rival Capital Saturday in a key Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m.

Capital’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is sponsoring a food drive. Any patron donating two canned food items receives free admission to the game.

The Cardinals, 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the OAC, come into the game locked in a first-place tie with Mount Union (6-0, 5-0) in league play. Capital, 4-2 overall and 3-2 in the OAC, shares fourth place with Baldwin-Wallace (3-3, 3-2).

“Capital is the most talented team that we have played up to this point,” said head coach Joe Loth, who is in his sixth season at his alma mater. “They have a great quarterback. Defensively, they held John Carroll to four yards in the second half, and only lost by 10 points despite nine turnovers. They are a very, very good football team.”

The Crusaders, under first-year head coach Jim Bickel, fell, 13-3, at John Carroll last Saturday in University Heights. Capital, currently ranked 21st by D3football.com, committed nine turnovers in the loss. Defensively, however, the Crusaders held John Carroll to 103 yards of total offense and just one first down and four yards in the second half. The Crusaders also forced three turnovers, had four sacks and recorded 15 tackles for loss.

Otterbein, meanwhile, kept its win streak intact, scoring 17 unanswered points in the second half to hold off Wilmington, 30-14, Saturday at Homecoming. The Cardinals moved up in the national rankings to 18th in the American Football Coaches Association poll and 19th in D3football.com. 

Otterbein entered the week sitting first or second in 10 major team categories in the OAC.

The Cardinals lead the OAC in punt returns (9.8 yards/return), net punting (35.5 yards/punt), turnover margin (plus 1.7/game), and sacks allowed (1.0/game). The Cards rank second in scoring offense (41.5 points/game), rushing offense (210.2 yards/game), passing efficiency (166.8), pass efficiency defense (104.7), sacks (3.3/game), and kickoff returns (21.4 yards/return).

Nationally, in NCAA Division III, the Cardinals rank among the top 25 in scoring offense (8th), scoring defense (19th), net punting (25th), turnover margin (tie 8th), passing efficiency (8th), and sacks (14th). Junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty sits sixth, nationally, with a pass efficiency rating of 171.2.

Capital leads the all-time series, 41-38-3, which began with a 60-0 Otterbein win in 1894. That win, however, is not officially recognized by Capital, who claims the series actually began in 1927 with a 39-6 Otterbein victory, making the series record 41-37-3. Otterbein won last season’s meeting in Westerville by a score of 17-10.

Coach Loth said Saturday’s game could come down to the big play.

“Whoever has the most big plays or stops the other team from having big plays will probably win the game,” Loth said.

Cards Move to 6-0 with 30-14 Win Over Wilmington
Written Oct. 18, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, scoring 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, defeated Wilmington, 30-14, Saturday afternoon at Homecoming in Memorial Stadium.

Donnie Reinhart brings down Marque Jones during second half action.

With the win, 21st-ranked Otterbein improved to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), setting up a showdown next Saturday at cross-town rival Capital (4-1, 3-1), who was scheduled to play tonight at John Carroll (4-1, 3-1) in University Heights. Wilmington fell to 2-4 overall and 2-3 in OAC play.

The Cardinals remain in a first-place tie with Mount Union (6-0, 5-0), a 49-0 winner over Heidelberg (1-5, 0-5) today at home in Alliance.

Wilmington took the early lead on a 12-yard pass from freshman quarterback Adam Reynolds to senior tight end Wes Anders with 11:46 remaining in the second quarter.

Otterbein started its next possession on the Wilmington 20-yard line following a 46-yard kickoff return from senior defensive back John Whaler and a 15-yard Wilmington penalty. One play later, a 20-yard pass from junior quarterback Jack Rafferty to sophomore receiver Ray Welch and the score stood 7-7 with 11:33 to go in the second period.

The two teams traded scores near the end of the first half—an 8-yard run by Otterbein junior running back Eric Yates with 2:03 remaining and a 1-yard run by Wilmington’s Reynolds with 24 seconds to play—but Otterbein’s kicked extra-point attempt missed and Wilmington led, 14-13, at the half.

Otterbein took the lead for good, 16-14, late in the third quarter, a 42-yard field goal from senior place-kicker B.J. Wanninger, which capped off 14-play, 67-yard drive that consumed 7:40. The Cardinals put the game out of reach in the fourth on a pair of rushing touchdowns of seven yards from senior fullback Brady Collins, and two yards from Rafferty.

Rafferty finished the day with 171 yards and one touchdown on 9-of-19 passing. Coy led the Cards with 83 rushing yards on 12 carries. Yates added 76 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries. Junior wide receiver Ryan Rowley caught four passes for 60 yards.

Wilmington quarterback Reynolds, who was injured and had to leave the game in the third quarter, completed 11 of 18 pass attempts for 133 yards and one touchdown. Reynolds led the Quakers in rushing with 82 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries.

The Otterbein defense, led by junior linebacker Donnie Reinhart, tallied four pass sacks and forced one fumble in the game. Reinhart finished with 10 tackles, including one pass sack for a loss of 10 yards. Sophomore defensive back Justin Hochstetler and junior linebacker Wil Longsdorf each made eight stops.

Cards to Host Wilmington on Homecoming
Written Oct. 16, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, off to its best start since the 1961 season, takes on the Quakers of Wilmington College, 2 p.m., Saturday in an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) game. It will be Homecoming.

The Cardinals, a perfect 5-0, share first place with Mount Union (5-0), each 4-0 in the OAC. Wilmington, 2-3 overall, shares fifth place with Baldwin-Wallace (2-3), each 2-2 in league play.

Despite the fast start—Otterbein is ranked 21st by both D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association—Otterbein head coach Joe Loth said nothing has changed in his approach to the game.

“It’s not any different than if we were 1-0 or 2-2,” Loth said. “Every week, we put all our resources into trying to win that game. It really doesn’t change if you’re 5-0, 0-1, or 4-0. We approach every game the same. Every week is a one-game season.”

Otterbein heads into the game off a 42-28 win over Baldwin-Wallace last Saturday in Memorial Stadium. It wasn’t easy. Baldwin-Wallace scored on its first three possessions and led, 17-7, early in the second quarter before Otterbein began to find its footing and make it a 17-14 score at the half. The Cardinals out-scored B-W, 28-11, in the second half.

Junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty, who completed 15 of 19 pass attempts for 231 yards and three touchdowns, was selected “player of the game” by the Otterbein coaching staff. Rafferty also scored on a 2-yard run.  Positional players of the game were senior guard Nate Russell (offensive line), junior running back Eric Yates (offensive skill), senior linebacker Eric Burnsides (defensive front six), senior linebacker Corey Spellman (defensive secondary), and senior place-kicker/punter B.J. Wanninger (special teams).

Wilmington, under fourth-year head coach Barry Wulf, built a 15-point lead early in the fourth quarter and held off Muskingum, 22-20, last Saturday at Homecoming in Wilmington. Junior quarterback Billy Blackburn completed 15 of 19 pass attempts for 168 yards and one touchdown. Junior running back Tim Pugh scored twice on runs of one and two yards.

The Quakers, in other OAC games this season, defeated Marietta, 34-7, and lost to Capital, 48-28, and John Carroll, 31-17.

Otterbein entered the week sitting first or second in 11 major team categories in the OAC. The Cardinals lead the OAC in pass efficiency defense (100.8), net punting (36.5 yards/game), turnover margin (plus 2.2/game), and sacks allowed (1.0/game). The Cards rank second in scoring offense (43.8 points/game), rushing offense (214.2 yards/game), rushing defense (89.2 yards/game), total defense (284.2 yards/game), scoring defense (12.6 points/game), passing efficiency (173.8), and sacks (3.2/game).

Wilmington sits second in the OAC in turnover margin (plus 0.80) and sacks allowed (1.4/game). The squad ranks sixth in total offense (323.4 yards/game), and 10th in total defense (438.4 yards/game).

“Wilmington has great skill on the offensive side of the ball,” Loth said. “Defensively, they are much improved. They’re 2-2 in the OAC, and are a better team than last year. They are going to provide a huge challenge for us.”

Last season in Wilmington, the two teams combined for 1,118 yards of total offense in an Otterbein 58-41 victory. Yates rushed for 204 yards and three touchdowns while Rafferty ran for 136 yards and two TD’s and passed for 217 yards and two scores.

Cards Hold onto a Share of 1st with 42-28 Win over B-W
Written Oct. 11, 2008 by Ed Syguda

The Cardinal defense turns the tide, holding B-W on 4th-and-1.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, off to its best start since the 1961 season, turned back Baldwin-Wallace, 42-28, Saturday afternoon in Memorial Stadium.

With the win, Otterbein improved to 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) and remains in a first-place tie with Mount Union (5-0, 4-0), a 49-7 winner over previously unbeaten Capital (4-1, 3-1) today in Alliance. Baldwin-Wallace fell to 2-3 overall and 2-2 in OAC play.

It wasn’t easy. Baldwin-Wallace scored on its first three possessions, the last, a 3-yard run by freshman tailback Tim Miker, and led Otterbein—nationally-ranked for the first time this season—17-7 with 14:24 to play in the second quarter.

After Miker’s score, B-W regained the football on the Otterbein 38-yard line following an intercepted pass from Otterbein junior quarterback Jack Rafferty. The Yellow Jackets moved the ball down field and had a first-and-goal from the Otterbein six-yard line.

Then the tide changed.

The Yellow Jackets tried four times to run the ball into the end zone, but the Cardinal defense held on downs, giving the ball back to the Cardinal offense on the Otterbein one-yard line with 9:44 to play in the half. The Cardinals mounted a 15 play, 99-yard drive, capped off by a 9-yard touchdown run by junior running back Eric Yates to cut B-W’s lead to three, 17-14, with 1:50 to play in the first half. The score remained 17-14 at the half.

The 24th-ranked Cardinals took over in the second half, scoring on four of their first five possessions. Junior wide receiver Ryan Rowley caught touchdown passes of 28 and 18 yards from Rafferty, the last giving Otterbein a 28-17 lead with 8:03 to play in the third quarter.

B-W junior place-kicker Cory Ramos hit his second field goal of the game, a 30-yarder with 3:41 remaining in the third quarter, to keep the Yellow Jackets close, but Otterbein closed the deal with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns—a 2-yard run by Rafferty and a 15-yard run from sophomore running back Colton Coy—to keep Otterbein on top, 42-20, with 6:04 to play in the game.

The Yellow Jackets closed out the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Anthony Gardner to senior wide receiver Mike Glynn.

Otterbein rolled up 412 yards of offense in the high scoring game. B-W netted 389 yards of total offense.

Rafferty completed 15 of 19 pass attempts for 231 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 29 yards and one touchdown on eight carries. Rowley finished with six catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Dan Gendron caught four balls for 90 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown reception for Otterbein’s first score of the game.

Yates led his teammates on the ground, rushing for 89 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries.

Senior linebacker Eric Burnsides, with 16 tackles, including eight unassisted, and senior defensive end Mike King, with eight tackles, led the Cardinal defense. King also collected an interception and a pass sack for a loss of 12 yards.

Otterbein remains at home next Saturday for homecoming, taking on the Quakers of Wilmington College. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. Baldwin-Wallace travels to Muskingum.
 

4-0 Cardinals Host Yellow Jackets
Written Oct. 9, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, locked in a three-way tie for first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), takes on the Yellow Jackets of Baldwin-Wallace, 1:30 p.m., Saturday in Memorial Stadium.

Otterbein, 4-0 overall, shares first place with Mount Union (4-0) and Capital (4-0), each 3-0 in the OAC. Baldwin-Wallace, 2-2 overall, shares fourth place with John Carroll (3-1), each 2-1 in conference play. Capital plays at Mount Union this Saturday.

Baldwin-Wallace, under 7th-year head coach John Snell, comes into the game off a 48-3 loss to top-ranked Mount Union at home last Saturday, snapping a two-game winning streak. The Yellow Jackets defeated Marietta, 45-16, at Marietta Sept. 27, and John Carroll, 21-17, at home Sept. 20.

“Just like every year, Baldwin-Wallace is one of the top teams in the conference,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth, who is in his sixth season at his alma mater. “They are a traditional power in the OAC and they have the same type of team this year.”

Otterbein, meanwhile, extended its win streak to four, rolling to a 52-14 win at Heidelberg last Saturday. The Cardinal defense tallied nine pass sacks. With the win, Otterbein cracked the Top 25 in both the American Football Coaches Association poll, 24th, and D3football.com poll, 25th.

Senior linebacker Eric Burnsides, who led the Cards with 11 tackles, including a pass sack, was selected “player of the game” by the Otterbein coaching staff. Positional players of the game were senior tackle Andy Fries (offensive line), sophomore running back Colton Coy (offensive skill), junior linebacker Donnie Reinhart (defensive front six), senior linebacker Corey Spellman (defensive secondary), and sophomore linebacker Cole Edwards (special teams).

Otterbein comes into the game sitting first or second in 11 major team categories in the OAC. The Cardinals lead the OAC in scoring offense (44.3 points/game), pass efficiency defense (91.42), net punting (36.3 yards/punt), kickoff returns (23.6 yards/return), turnover margin (plus 2.75/game), pass defense (171.5 yards/game), and sacks allowed (1.3/game). The team ranks second in rushing offense (228.3 yards/game), total defense (252.3 yards/game), scoring defense (8.8 points/game), and sacks (3.8/game).

Baldwin-Wallace ranks third in the OAC in total offense, averaging 411.3 yards a game. The Yellow Jackets are averaging 281.5 passing and 129.8 rushing yards an outing. The team, however, ranks eighth in total defense, allowing 405.3 yards per game.

“We’ve got to win the turnover battle, be able to run the football and stop the run,” Loth listed as some keys for success against Baldwin-Wallace. “We’ll have to have solid special teams—they really beat us on special teams last year.

“Most importantly, B-W has a great quarterback,” Loth continued. “We’ve got to be able to contain their quarterback.”

In last season’s meeting, Baldwin-Wallace won, 37-27, at home in Berea. Otterbein quarterback Jack Rafferty rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another. Rafferty finished the day with 217 passing yards, completing 17 of 26 pass attempts.

Cards Roll to 4th Straight Win
Written Oct. 4, 2008 by Ed Syguda

TIFFIN, OHIO—Otterbein retained its share of first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), rolling to a 52-14 win over Heidelberg Saturday evening in Tiffin.

The Cardinals, matching their best start since 1981, improved to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the OAC, and sit in a three-way tie with Mount Union (4-0, 3-0) and Capital (4-0, 3-0) for first place in the OAC. Heidelberg dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-3 in conference play.

Heidelberg freshman Adrian Balser took the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown, but that was just about it for the Student Prince as Otterbein scored the game’s next 45 points.

Junior eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty, who completed 8 of 13 pass attempts for 114 yards, opened the Otterbein scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run, capping off a five-play, 68-yard drive to tie the game at 7-7 with 12:18 to play in the first quarter.

A 29-yard field goal from senior B.J. Wanninger followed to give Otterbein the lead for good, 10-7, with 2:59 to play in the second quarter. Otterbein tallied three more rushing touchdowns—two from junior running back Eric Yates and one from sophomore running back Colton Coy—to take a 31-7 lead into the locker room at the half.

Coy, who led Otterbein with 101 yards rushing, scored his second touchdown of the game, a 9-yard run, to put the game out of reach, 38-7, with 9:37 to play in the third quarter. Sophomore tight end Mike Detwiler scored a minute later, a 5-yard pass from Rafferty, while Yates notched his third touchdown of the game, an 8-yard run, to close out the scoring with 30 seconds to play in the third quarter.

Although the Cardinals put up 406 yards of total offense, including 256 rushing yards, it was the Otterbein defense that stole the show.

Otterbein sacked sophomore quarterback Andrew Miller 11 times, with 3 1/2 of those sacks coming from senior defensive end Alex Kriss. Senior defensive tackle Dexter Hopkins led Otterbein with seven tackles, including three unassisted, along with a shared pass sack and a forced fumble.

The Berg finished with 247 yards of total offense, including just 57 yards rushing.

With the win, Otterbein held onto the Rhine River Cup for a sixth-straight year, boosting its record to 11-5-1 in the series, which began in 1992. Otterbein and Heidelberg played the first intercollegiate football game in Germany in 1992.

Cards, Berg to Battle for Rhine River Cup
Written Oct. 2, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, off to its best start since 1981, continues Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play, traveling to Tiffin Saturday to face Heidelberg in the battle for the Rhine River Cup. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Otterbein and Heidelberg have been battling for the Rhine River Cup ever since the two teams played the first-ever collegiate football game in Germany in 1992, which ended in a 7-7 tie in Frankfurt. The Cardinals hold a 10-5-1 lead in the Rhine River series, having won nine of the last 10 meetings, including the last five.

Otterbein, 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the OAC, comes into the game off a program win, 37-7, at Ohio Northern last Saturday. That marked Otterbein’s first win over the Polar Bears in 18 seasons. Heidelberg, 1-2 overall and 0-2 in the OAC, almost tripped up John Carroll, losing, 17-15, last Saturday in University Heights. The Berg missed a two-point conversion attempt with 3:13 to play.

“It was a good win for us,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth about the Ohio Northern game. “We came prepared and played as well as I thought we would.”

Senior place-kicker and punter B.J. Wanninger was selected “player of the game” by the Otterbein coaching staff. Positional players of the game were senior tackle Jamie Albert (offensive line), junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty (offensive skill), senior end Mike King (defensive front six), junior cornerback Chad Woodfork (defensive secondary), and junior linebacker Wil Longsdorf (special teams).

Defense, again, was key in the win. Otterbein tallied three pass sacks, two interceptions and recovered a fumble against the Polar Bears.

“We’ve done a great job of taking our defense to the next level this year,” Loth said. “We’re doing well against the run, and doing well against the pass. We are really balanced on defense like we try to be on offense.”

The Cardinal defense comes into the week leading the OAC in scoring defense (7 points/game), pass defense (165 yards/game), pass defense efficiency (81.5), and turnover margin (plus-10). The unit ranks second in total defense (254 yards/game) and fourth in rushing defense (89 yards/game).

On the offensive side of the ball, the Cardinals sit second in scoring (41.7 points/game) and rushing (219 yards/game); and hold down the fourth spot in total offense (402 yards/game).

Four Cardinal players rank among the top 20 in NCAA Division III: Woodfork, tied for third in interceptions (one/game); Rafferty, 11th in passing efficiency (170.2); senior wide receiver Dan Gendron, 13th in kickoff returns (31.3 yards/return); and sophomore running back Colton Coy, tied for 17th in scoring (12 points/game).

Last season in Westerville, Rafferty hit wide receiver Ryan Rowley for a 4-yard touchdown pass with 27 seconds to play to pull out a 34-31 win over Heidelberg at homecoming.

“Heidelberg presents a huge challenge for us,” Loth said. “They are extremely talented offensively, and may have the best skill in the conference if you look at their quarterback, receivers and running backs. Defensively, they are much improved this year.”

OAC Names Wanninger Player of the Week
Written Sept. 29, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—B.J. Wanninger, a senior from Cincinnati (LaSalle High School), was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “special teams player of the week” in football, the OAC released today.

Wanninger, who handles place-kicking and punting duties for the 3-0 Cardinals, turned in a perfect performance in Otterbein’s 37-7 win at Ohio Northern Saturday. He nailed all three of his field-goal attempts of 32, 25, and 32 yards; and all four extra points.

The senior made just two punts in the game, averaging 43.5 yards while placing one inside the 20-yard line.

Otterbein, 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the OAC, travels to Heidelberg Saturday for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Cards Make Statement in 37-7 Win Over Ohio Northern
Written Sept. 27, 2008 by Ed Syguda

ADA, OHIO—Otterbein took a major step forward, posting a convincing 37-7 victory over Ohio Northern Saturday in Ada to improve to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC).

The win was Otterbein’s first over the Polar Bears in 18 seasons, the last one coming in 1989, a 14-7 decision. Otterbein head coach Joe Loth and offensive coordinator Tim Doup both played and were starters for Otterbein in that 1989 win.

The Polar Bears, falling to 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the OAC, were a pre-season pick to finish second in the OAC this season.

Otterbein got out of the gate early Saturday, scoring on its first two possessions, a 5-yard run by junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty with 2:40 remaining in the first quarter and an 11-yard run by senior wide receiver Dan Gendron with 9:43 to play in the second quarter.

Ohio Northern managed to get on the board before the first half ended, recovering an Otterbein fumble on its own 46-yard line, and driving 54 yards for the touchdown, a 3-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Kyle Simmons to senior running back Curt Shepherd with 22 seconds remaining in the half. Otterbein led 14-7 at the break.

The second half belonged all to Otterbein as the Cardinal defense shifted into high gear, forcing three Ohio Northern turnovers and yielding just 80 yards of total offense over the final two quarters of play.

Senior place-kicker B.J. Wanninger opened the Otterbein scoring in the second half, hitting the first of three field goals, a 32-yarder with 10:06 to play in the third quarter. Junior running back Eric Yates followed with a 15-yard touchdown run and Wanninger closed out the period with a 25-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Following another Wanninger 32-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, sophomore running back Colton Coy closed out the scoring, breaking free for a 62-yard touchdown run with 4:17 to play in the game.

Coy, for the second-consecutive game, hit the 100-yard rushing mark, tallying 129 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries along with a team-high four receptions for 45 yards. Rafferty threw for 136 yards on 12-of-21 passing and rushed for 31 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

B.J. Wanninger, who also handles punting duties, was perfect on the day, nailing all four extra-point attempts and all three field-goal attempts. He averaged 43.5 yards on two punts, placing one inside the 20-yard line.

The Cardinal defense recorded three pass sacks, two interceptions and recovered a fumble in the win. Senior linebacker Cory Spellman led his team with seven tackles. Junior cornerback Chad Woodfork and junior safety Danny Lynch each made an interception in the win. It was Woodfork’s third of the season, a team best.

Otterbein remains on the road this week, traveling to Heidelberg Saturday for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The two teams will be battling for the Rhine River Cup.

Cards Face Polar Bears in Key OAC Matchup
Written Sept. 23, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, off to a strong 2-0 start, heads to Ohio Northern Saturday for a key Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) showdown in Ada. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Both teams will be working on streaks—Otterbein seeking to extend its win streak to three while Ohio Northern, 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the OAC, attempting to halt its losing streak at two.

“It’s misleading,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth about the Polar Bear’s 0-2 record. “They are still ranked among the top 35 teams in the country, which says a lot about their program. They have a good player at every position.”

Northern comes into the game off back-to-back losses to nationally-ranked teams, losing on the road at 8th-ranked North Central, 20-3, Sept. 13 and at home to top-ranked Mount Union, 44-7, last Saturday.

Despite the challenge, Otterbein, who hasn’t beaten Ohio Northern since 1989, carries a little momentum into Saturday’s game. The Cardinals have played to a 6-2 record since losing to Ohio Northern, 27-14, at home in the fourth game of last season. Northern, on the other hand, is 3-5 over the same period.

The Cardinals head into the game off a convincing 48-7 win over Muskingum last Saturday at home in Memorial Stadium. Sophomore running back Colton Coy accounted for four touchdowns and was named OAC “offensive player of the week”. The Otterbein defense forced five turnovers.

“I was happy to see Colton Coy really step up,” Loth said. “He was our starting tailback last year until he got hurt so it was good to see him pick up from where he left off.”

The Otterbein coaching staff named Coy the “player of the game”. In addition to Coy, other players of the game were senior tackle Andy Fries (offensive line), junior wide receiver Ryan Rowley (offensive skill), senior tackle Dexter Hopkins (defensive front six), senior cornerback John Wahler (defensive secondary), and senior punter/place-kicker B.J. Wanninger (special teams).

Entering the week, Otterbein led the OAC in four team categories: scoring offense (44.0 points a game); pass efficiency defense (82.82); kickoff returns (28.7 yards a return); and turnover margin (plus-4 per game). Junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty sat third in NCAA Division III for passing efficiency (202.64).

Otterbein will need balance on offense and stop the big play on defense in order to be successful against the Polar Bears, according to Loth.

“We go to Ada as the underdog and it’ll be a huge challenge,” Loth said. “Ohio Northern has a great running back in R.J. Meadows and a very good quarterback in Kyle Simmons. They are a very good football team.

“Ohio Northern was picked to finish second in the OAC this season,” Loth added. “There is a reason why they were picked so high.”

Following Ohio Northern, Otterbein heads back out on the road, traveling to Heidelberg Oct. 4 to battle for the Rhine River Cup.

OAC Names Coy Offensive Player of the Week
Written Sept. 22, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Colton Coy, a sophomore from Chillicothe (Adena High School), was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “offensive player of the week” in football, the OAC released today.

The running back scored four times, including the first three Otterbein touchdowns, in a 48-7 OAC win over Muskingum Saturday in Westerville.

Coy rushed for 117 yards on 18 carries, which included touchdown runs of 28, one and two yards. He also caught a touchdown pass of 33 yards, finishing the game with two receptions for 35 yards.

In the season opener, a 40-7 win over Bethany Sept. 6, Coy rushed for 76 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown run, on eight carries.

Cards Improve to 2-0 with 48-7 Win in OAC Opener
Written Sept. 20, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, for the second straight game, put up the offensive numbers, cruising easily to a 48-7 win over Muskingum in its Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) opener Saturday in Memorial Stadium.

Sophomore running back Colton Coy, starting for injured junior Eric Yates, made his presence felt right out of the gate, scoring on a 28-yard run less than two minutes into the game as the Cardinals would go on to score touchdowns in six of their first seven possessions. Coy scored Otterbein’s next two touchdowns—a one-yard run and a 33-yard pass reception—to give the Cardinals a 21-0 lead with 10:40 remaining in the second quarter.

Senior cornerback John Wahler boosted the Otterbein lead to 27-0 with a 59-yard interception return for a touchdown before Muskingum finally got on the board with a five-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Jake Burns to senior tailback Caleb Fuller to make the score 27-7 with 2:04 remaining in the first half.

Otterbein struck again before the half could end as junior-eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty hit junior wide receiver Ryan Rowley with a nine-yard scoring strike with 25 seconds to play in the first half. Otterbein led 34-7 at the half.

Rowley opened the Cardinal scoring in the second half with a 34-yard touchdown reception from Rafferty with 9:01 remaining in the third period and Coy followed with a two-yard touchdown run to make it 48-7 with a 5:29 to play in the third quarter.

With the game nearly out of reach, Otterbein head coach Joe Loth substituted freely over the final quarter of the game.

Otterbein rolled up 388 yards of total offense, balanced equally between rushing, 185 yards, and passing, 203 yards.

Coy finished with 117 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries along with two receptions for 35 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown. Rowley led the receiving corps with 107 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions. Rafferty finished the day close to perfect, hitting 13 of 16 pass attempts for 173 yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback carried the ball seven times for 35 yards.

Just as they had in game one, a 40-7 win over Bethany Sept. 6, the Otterbein defense forced five turnovers—three interceptions and two fumbles—in today’s win over Muskingum. In addition to Wahler, junior cornerback Chad Woodfork and senior safety Charlie Rowley made picks. Whaler and Woodfork each have two interceptions this season.

Cards Host Muskingum in OAC Opener
Written Sept. 18, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein opens Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play with the Fighting Muskies of Muskingum College, 1:30 p.m., Saturday in Memorial Stadium.

Both teams come into the game off convincing nonconference wins Sept. 6, Otterbein defeating Bethany (WV), 40-7, at home, and Muskingum knocking off Defiance, 35-10, at home in New Concord.

“We’re playing a very good Muskingum team,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth, who is in his sixth season at his alma mater. “Statistically, they’re the No. 1 ranked defense in the conference right now and 10th in the country. We know we’re going to have our hands full.”

Muskingum, under second-year head coach Al Logan, held Defiance to 158 yards of total offense and eight first downs, ending the game with three pass sacks, three forced fumbles, and seven tackles for loss. Junior linebacker Brad Jordan recorded a team-high seven stops with one sack and one forced fumble.

Offensively, sophomore quarterback Jake Burns, who was making his first collegiate start, completed 25 of 31 pass attempts for 199 yards. All five Muskingum touchdowns, however, came on the ground. Senior running back Caleb Fuller rushed for 100 yards, including touchdown runs of five, six and 20 yards.

Otterbein, meanwhile, used a big second-half surge to break open a close game in its win over Bethany. The Cardinals amassed almost 300 yards of offense in the second half, scoring 27 points while shutting out the Bison. Otterbein led 13-7 at the half.

Junior eligible quarterback Jack Rafferty threw for 183 yards and four touchdowns on 13-of-22 passing. Junior wide receiver Ryan Rowley caught six balls for 67 yards, including touchdowns of 16 and five yards. Junior running back Eric Yates rushed for 123 yards, including a six-yard touchdown, on 19 carries.

Defensively, Otterbein forced five turnovers, including four interceptions. Sophomore strong safety Justin Hochstetler led the Cardinals with eight tackles, including six unassisted.

Both teams are seeking a move up in the OAC standings this season. The Cardinals were 5-4 in league play in 2007, finishing in a three-way tie for fourth place while Muskingum did not win a game. Otterbein defeated the Muskies, 29-0, in New Concord a year ago.

“Muskingum is a much better team than last year,” Loth said. “Last season, they struggled a little bit at the quarterback position. It looks like they have a pretty good quarterback right now.”

Following Muskingum, Otterbein travels to Ohio Northern next Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff. Muskingum is scheduled to host Mount Union at 1:30 p.m.

Cards Cruise to 40-7 Win in Season Opener
Written Sept. 6, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein used a big second-half surge to break open a close game at the half, cruising to a 40-7 win over Bethany (WV) Saturday afternoon in Westerville.

The Cardinals amassed almost 300 yards of offense in the second half, scoring 27 points while shutting out the Bison over the final 30 minutes of the game. Otterbein led 13-7 at the half.

Otterbein struck quickly. Wide receiver Ryan Rowley scored 30 seconds into the game on a 16-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Jack Rafferty, which was set up by a Bison fumble recovered by Otterbein defensive end Mike King on the Bethany 10-yard line. Running back Eric Yates made it 13-0 on a four-yard touchdown reception with 8:53 to play in the first quarter.

Bethany’s lone score, a seven-yard pass from quarterback Dan Pegg to wide receiver Randy Rankin, came with 12:25 to play in the first half.

In the second half, Rafferty, who finished with 183 yards and four touchdowns on 13-of-22 passing, threw a pair of scoring strikes to Rowley, a five-yarder with 5:14 remaining in the third period, and Tanner McCormick, a 35-yarder with 9:26 to play.

The other two scores came on the ground, a 12-yard run by running back Colton Coy with 11:16 to play in the third period, and a six-yard run by Yates with 14:08 to play in the game. The pair combined for 199 rushing yards in the game. Yates netted 123 yards on 19 carries while Coy rushed for 76 yards on eight carries.

The Otterbein offense proved efficient on the day, converting 7 of 10 third-down situations and scoring all five times it got into the red zone.

Defensively, Otterbein forced five turnovers, including four interceptions from linebacker Donnie Reinhart, cornerback John Wahler, free safety Danny Lynch, and cornerback Chadric Woodfork.

Strong safety Justin Hochstetler led the Cardinal defense with eight tackles, including six unassisted.

Cards Open 08 at Home with Bethany
Written Sept. 4, 2008 by Ed Syguda

Otterbein opens the 2008 campaign with the Bison of Bethany College in a nonconference matchup. The Bison are a member of the President’s Athletic Conference (PAC). This marks the first meeting between the two schools.

“Bethany is a program on the rise,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth, who enters his sixth season with the Cardinals. “They have a majority of their starters back.”

Bethany, under third-year head coach Tim Weaver, returns 35 lettermen from last season’s 4-6 squad that finished with a share of fourth place in the PAC with a 2-4 record.

Otterbein, meanwhile, fields one of its most experienced teams since Loth returned to his alma mater in 2003. “This is the first year since I’ve been the head coach that we have had all juniors and seniors in the two-deep,” Loth said. 

Otterbein, with 50 returning lettermen, including 23 seniors, brings back nine starters on offense and 10 on defense. Thirteen of the 19 starters are seniors. The other six are juniors. 

Jack Rafferty, an honorable mention All-OAC pick, returns to quarterback an offense that led the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) in red zone conversion (92.5 percent); and ranked second in scoring (28.1 points/game), total offense (381.7 yards/game), and rushing (165.0 yards/game) in 2007.

Rafferty, who is now working on a graduate degree at Otterbein, led his teammates in scoring with 10 rushing touchdowns in 2007. He completed 89 of 157 pass attempts for 1,388 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for 401 yards on 118 carries.

Also back on offense are first team All-OAC performers Eric Yates, a junior running back, and Andy Fries, a senior tackle. Yates rushed for 730 yards and eight touchdowns on 155 carries.

Senior middle linebacker Eric Burnsides headlines the list of returning starters on defense. He led Otterbein with 80 tackles, 37 unassisted, on his way to first team All-OAC and honorable mention Academic All-OAC honors last season. 

Senior punter B.J. Wanninger, an Academic All-OAC selection in 2007, returns and is expected to pick up place-kicking duties this season.

Bethany players to watch include Dan Pegg, a sophomore making his first collegiate start at quarterback; wide receiver Matt Cruse, who earned second team All-PAC honors and tied a school record with nine touchdown receptions; wide receiver Taylor McNeil, who earned honorable mention All-PAC honors on his way to over 1,400 all-purpose yards last season; defensive back Nelson Mitzen, a second team All-PAC pick, who led the team in tackles, 65, and interceptions, two; and defensive back Brandon Zeman, an honorable mention All-PAC selection, who tallied 35 tackles despite missing four games to injury.

Loth cites three keys for success in today’s matchup: win the turnover margin, expect the unexpected, and be ready to adjust on both sides of the ball.

“Bethany is known to start most games with a trick play,” Loth said. “They might have installed a new offense or defense so we must be able to adjust.”

Following Bethany, Otterbein has a bye next Saturday and is scheduled to open OAC play Sept. 20 against Muskingum at home. Bethany hosts Kentucky Christian next Saturday.

DeLong Named to D3football.com All-North Region Team
Written Nov. 27, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Wide receiver Scott DeLong, a senior from Van Wert (Crestview High School), was named to the D3football.com All-North Region third team.

DeLong made 66 receptions for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns this season, and led the OAC in receptions per game (6.6) and receiving yardage per game (105.0). He finished fourth in the OAC for all-purpose yardage, averaging 105.3 yards a game, and ninth for scoring, averaging 5.8 points an outing.

Nationally, in NCAA Division III, the senior receiver ranked 13th in receiving yards, 15th in receiving yardage per game and 31st in receptions per game.

Five Named to Academic All-OAC Teams
Written Nov. 27, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Five members of the 2007 Otterbein football team were selected to Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) teams, the OAC released today.

Otterbein and Mount Union, with seven players selected, were the only two teams in the 10-member OAC to have five or more players selected to the academic teams.

Defensive back Justin Ross, defensive back Brett Glass, punter B.J. Wanninger and offensive lineman Mike Young were named to the first team. Linebacker Eric Burnsides earned honorable mention honors.

Ross, a senior from Canal Winchester, was a unanimous selection in voting by the league’s faculty athletic representatives. The free safety, a four-time academic all-conference selection, is majoring in business administration and economics. Ross has made the Otterbein Dean’s List nine times.

Glass, a senior from Plain City (Jonathon Alder High School), is majoring in life science with a minor in business administration. He has made the dean’s list six times.

Wanninger, a junior from Cincinnati (LaSalle), is also a life science major and has appeared on the dean’s list six times.

Young, a senior from Columbus Grove, is majoring in middle childhood education.

Burnsides, a junior from Columbus (Worthington Kilbourne), is majoring in broadcasting with a minor in speech communications.

Six Named to All-OAC Teams
Written Nov. 19, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Six members of the 2007 Otterbein football team were selected to All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) teams, the OAC released today.

Wide receiver Scott DeLong, a senior from Van Wert (Crestview High School), offensive tackle Andy Fries, a junior from Norwalk, and running back Eric Yates, a sophomore from Dublin (Scioto), were selected to the first team.

DeLong made 66 receptions for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns this season, and led the OAC in receptions per game (6.6) and receiving yardage per game (105.0). He finished fourth in the OAC for all-purpose yardage, averaging 105.3 a game.

Fries anchored an offensive line that averaged 165 yards rushing and 216.7 yards passing a game. Otterbein finished second in the OAC for total offense.

Yates rushed for 730 yards and eight touchdowns on 155 carries. He finished third in the OAC, averaging 73.0 rushing yards a game. The running back also made 10 receptions for 108 yards.

Linebacker Eric Burnsides, a junior from Columbus (Worthington Kilbourne), was selected to the second team by the OAC coaches. Burnsides led Otterbein with 80 tackles, 37 of them unassisted this season. The linebacker tallied 5.5 tackles for a loss of 14 yards. Burnsides finished seventh in the OAC for most tackles.

Quarterback Jack Rafferty, a sophomore from Columbus (Dublin Coffman), and offensive guard Mike Young, a senior from Columbus Grove, were named to the honorable mention team.

Rafferty accounted for 18 touchdowns, 10 by rush and eight by pass, to lead Otterbein in scoring with 60 points. He completed 89 of 157 pass attempts for 1,388 yards and finished fourth in the OAC with a 140.1 pass rating. He netted 401 yards rushing on 118 carries.

Cards Fall in Triple OT
Written Nov. 10, 2007 by Don Middleton

WESTERVILLE, OHIO―Otterbein’s (5-5, 5-4) senior day was spoiled in heart-breaking fashion by John Carroll (6-4, 5-4), 35-33, in triple overtime Saturday in Memorial Stadium.

John Carroll started off the game with the ball and moved methodically down the field on a 12 play, 67-yard drive that was capped off by a 3-yard TD reception by Blue Streaks sophomore wide receiver Frank Ross to give JC a 7-0 lead. 

Otterbein responded on their first possession by moving the ball 42 yards on 11 plays that resulted in a 35-yard field goal by senior place-kicker Alek Shirvanian (Dearborn Heights, Mich./Annapolis). 

The score would remain 7-3 until the second quarter when JC senior defensive end Nadhal Eadeh recovered a fumble and went 65 yards for a Blue Streak touchdown, making the score 13-3 (pat blocked). 

After a surprisingly low-scoring first half that saw only 16 total points put up, the second half featured offensive outbursts by both teams. 

Trailing 13-3 at the half, Otterbein came out in the second half and scored first, a 23-yard field goal by Shirvanian made it a 13-6 game. 

After forcing JC to turn the ball over on downs, junior quarterback Jack Rafferty (Columbus/Dublin Coffman) hit Ray Welch, a sophomore from Lewis Center (Olentangy), on a 40-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 13.  The Cards took their first lead of the game, 20-13, going 95 yards on only eight plays that ended on a 36-yard touchdown reception by sophomore wide receiver Dan Gendron (Newport, Mich./Jefferson) with 3:58 remaining in the fourth quarter. 

JC tied the game at 20 with 16.3 seconds remaining and had a chance to win it in regulation.  After John Carroll recovered an onside kick that hit off an Otterbein player, Josiah Kedzior missed a 47-yard field goal attempt as time expired. 

Otterbein got the ball first in overtime and was unable to capitalize, missing a 35-yard field goal.  John Carroll, on its first possession in overtime, moved the ball down to the OC 3-yard line, but a personal foul by the Blue Streaks and a player ejection moved the ball back to the OC 18-yard line and JC missed a game-winning 35-yard field goal attempt. 

John Carroll scored first in the second overtime to go up 27-20.  Otterbein responded after converting on 3rd and 15 and, two plays later, Rafferty scored on a one-yard run to tie the game at 27. 

Rafferty scored on the first play from scrimmage in the third overtime on a 25-yard run.  Otterbein failed on its two-point conversion attempt, leaving the score with Otterbein leading 33-27.  John Carroll quarterback Mark Petruziello, facing a fourth and two situation from the Otterbein 7-yard line, threw a 7-yard TD pass to Peter Spachner to tie the game.  The Blue Streaks converted the two-point conversion for the win. 

Otterbein punted only once in the game and was 11 of 18 on third-down conversions. 

Offensively, the Cards finished with 492 yards.  Rafferty led the way with 301 yards passing and two touchdowns and also carried the ball for 72 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns.  Senior wide receiver Scott DeLong (Van Wert/Crestview), with six catches for 138 yards, finished the season with 1,050 yards. 

Defensively, the Cards had four sacks and were led by junior linebacker Eric Burnsides, a junior from Columbus (Worthington Kilbourne), who had a season-high 16 tackles. 

Otterbein concludes the 2007 campaign with a conference record of 5-4, finishing tied for fourth place with Baldwin-Wallace and John Carroll.  The senior class leaves Otterbein with a 20-20 record.

Cards Host John Carroll
Written Nov. 7, 2007 by Ed Syguda

Scott DeLong enters the game with 912 receiving yards in 2007.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein closes out the 2007 season with the Blue Streaks of John Carroll, 1:30 p.m., Saturday at home in Memorial Stadium. It will be Senior Day.

Otterbein, 5-4 overall, sits in a three-way tie with Ohio Northern (6-3) and Baldwin-Wallace (6-3) for third place, each 5-3 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). John Carroll, 5-4 overall, sits one game back in sixth place at 4-4.

The senior class enters today’s game with a 20-19 record over its four years of play and has an opportunity to leave Otterbein with a winning record, something not done since the class of 1982. As sophomores, this class finished 7-3 in 2005.

“Our senior class has done a great job of building the foundation for a long-term successful program,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth, who is in his fifth season at his alma mater. “Obviously, being the most successful class since the 1979 freshmen reported is a great accomplishment.”

Both teams come into the game off losses—the Cardinals seeing its four-game winning streak snapped at Baldwin-Wallace, 37-27, while the Blue Streaks, under ninth-year head coach Regis Scafe, falling to No. 1 Mount Union, 53-0, at home.

B-W used some big plays in the second half, including a pair of touchdowns on a blocked Otterbein punt and a 62-yard pass, to hold off Otterbein, who led at the half, 13-7.

Otterbein quarterback Jack Rafferty, a sophomore from Columbus (Dublin Coffman High School), rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another in Berea. He completed 17 of 26 pass attempts for 217 yards.

Wide receiver Scott DeLong, a senior from Van Wert (Crestview), notched his fifth game this season with over 100 yards receiving, making six catches for 128 yards.

Wide receiver Dan Gendron, a sophomore from Newport, Mich. (Jefferson), tallied 132 all-purpose yards, including a five-yard pass for a touchdown and a 43-yard kickoff return. Running back Eric Yates, a sophomore from Dublin (Scioto), rounded out the Otterbein scoring with a 4-yard TD run, finishing with 78 yards on 21 carries.

John Carroll, meanwhile, fell behind early, trailing, 26-0, after one quarter of play and struggled offensively in its loss to Mount Union. The Blue Streaks netted 44 yards of offense passing, but were held to minus-47 yards rushing largely due to eight pass sacks by the Mount Union defense.

Blue Streak quarterback Mark Petruziello, a junior from Mentor (Lake Catholic), completed 6 of 17 pass attempts for 45 yards. Running back Mark Elsaesser, a freshman from Webster, N.Y. (McQuaid Jesuit), set a school record for kickoff return yardage, amassing 197 yards on eight returns.

Ross and Glass Earn Academic All-District Honors
Written Nov.8, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Justin Ross, a senior from Canal Winchester, Ohio, and Brett Glass, a senior from Plain City, Ohio (Johnathan Alder High School), were named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV teams in football as selected by the College Sports Information Director’s of America (CoSIDA), released today by CoSIDA.

Ross was named to the first team and is now eligible for Academic All-America consideration. Glass earned second team honors.

Ross, a four-year starter at defensive back, ranks third on the team with 58 tackles, 28 of them unassisted in 2007. The tri-captain has made eight interceptions over his four-year career.

The free safety is majoring in Business Administration, with a minor in Economics, and has made the Otterbein Dean’s List nine times.

Glass, a two-year letterman at defensive back, ranks tenth on the team with 34 tackles, including 22 solo stops in 2007.

The cornerback is majoring in Life Science and has made the Otterbein Dean’s List five times.

Academic All-District IV team members are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. District IV encompasses the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Cards Fall to B-W 37-27
Written Nov.3, 2007 by Don Middleton

BEREA, OHIO―Otterbein’s (5-4, 5-3) quest to win it’s fifth consecutive game for the first time since 1979 was spoiled Saturday after falling to Baldwin-Wallace (6-3, 5-3) 37-27 in Berea. 

With wins by Ohio Northern and Capital, the Cards find themselves back in the middle of the pack in the OAC, tied for fourth with B-W, with a conference record of 5-3. 

For the first time in three weeks, Otterbein found themselves trailing early. B-W scored on its first drive, going 67 yards on only 6 plays.

The Cards responded back quickly, using a 10-play, 71-yard drive that was capped off by a 1-yard TD run by sophomore QB Jack Rafferty (Columbus/Dublin Coffman) to tie it up 7-7.  After forcing B-W to turn the ball over on downs, Otterbein running back Eric Yates, a sophomore from Dublin (Scioto), scored on a 4-yard TD run to put OC ahead 13-7 (pat failed).

After going into the half trailing 13-7, B-W came out firing in the second half and scored 20 unanswered points.  A blocked punt in the end zone, and two offensive touchdown’s later, Otterbein found themselves trailing 27-13 midway through the fourth quarter. 

A 2-yard TD run by Rafferty with 7:41 to go in the fourth quarter put the Cards in position for a comeback, trailing 27-20, but B-W quarterback Anthony Gardner hit wide receiver Vinny Latessa on a 62-yard strike to put the OC deficit back to 14 points.

With 4:59 remaining, Rafferty hit sophomore wide receiver Dan Gendron (Newport, Mich./Jefferson) on a 5-yard pass to cut the lead to 34-27.  OC couldn’t hold back the Yellow Jackets offense though as B-W used 4:19 off the clock and converted on a 26-yard field goal with 40 seconds remaining to put the game away, 37-27.

Otterbein was 6 of 15 on third down, while the Cards held B-W to only 2 of 10 on third-down conversions.

Offensively, Otterbein wide receiver Scott DeLong, a senior from Van Wert (Crestview), went over the 100-yard mark for the fifth time this season with 128-yards on six catches.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Cards were led by junior defensive back Corey Spellman (Grove City/Central Crossing) and sophomore linebacker Wil Longsdorf (London) who had 9 tackles apiece.  Spellman also added OC’s lone sack of the game.

Otterbein will play their season finale at home next Saturday (Nov. 10) against John Carroll (5-4, 4-4).  Game time is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

The Cardinals will be looking for their first win against John Carroll since 2004.  JC fell to No. 1 ranked Mount Union 53-0 Saturday.

Cardinals Win Fourth Straight
Written Oct. 27, 2007 by Don Middleton

NEW CONCORD, OHIO―Otterbein (5-3, 5-2) spoiled Muskingum’s (0-8, 0-7) homecoming and kept the Muskies winless with a 29-0 shutout at Sherman Field in New Concord, Ohio Saturday.

With the win, Otterbein moves into a three-way tie with Capital and Ohio Northern for second place in the OAC.

“Defensively, we played a second-straight solid football game,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth.  “Offensively we were not as effective as we wanted to be.  It was a slow, methodical win today.”

After stunning 6th-ranked Capital last weekend, the Cards were once again on top of their game, playing stellar defense and also scoring a touchdown on a blocked punt.

Senior place-kicker Alek Shirvanian (Dearborn Heights, Mich./Annapolis) connected on a 28-yard field goal to put Otterbein on the board first with 7:21 to play in the first quarter.

Otterbein sophomore Eric Yates (Dublin/Scioto) made it 9-0 (pat failed) with a 14-yard run with 4:44 to play in the first half. 

An 8-play, 61-yard drive was capped off with a 14-yard touchdown pass by sophomore quarterback Jack Rafferty (Columbus/Dublin Coffman) to senior Scott DeLong (Van Wert/Crestview) with only 3 seconds remaining in the first half. 

Defensive back John Wahler, a junior from Huber Heights (Wayne High School), recovered a blocked punt in the end zone with 5:57 to play in the third quarter to give the Cards a 22-0 lead.

Senior quarterback Paul Stelzer (Delaware/Hayes) came into the game in the fourth quarter and led Otterbein on a 15-play, 97-yard drive that ended with a 23-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Ray Welch (Lewis Center/Olentangy) with 3:26 remaining in the fourth quarter.

For the third time this season, Yates went over the 100-yard mark, gaining 122 yards on 26 carries and one touchdown.  DeLong also went over the century mark for receiving yards for the fourth time in 2007, making nine catches for 139 yards and a touchdown.

“DeLong made the plays when we really needed them,” Loth said.  “Scotty made a lot of nice plays that helped dig us out of a hole and through some tough spots.”

The Cardinal defense held the Muskies to only 190 yards of total offense, a season best for Otterbein.  OC also held Muskingum to 2 for 14 on third-down conversions and forced three turnovers. The team also tied a season high with four sacks.

Senior cornerback Tony Furr (Johnstown/Monroe) and senior defensive back Justin Ross (C.Winchester) led the Otterbein defense with six tackles apiece.

With the win, Otterbein has defeated Muskingum the last four seasons, with the last two coming by shutout. 

Otterbein travels to Berea, Ohio next Saturday for a game against Baldwin-Wallace (5-3, 4-3).  Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. B-W defeated 17th ranked Ohio Northern, 21-18, Saturday in Ada.

Cards Stun 6th-Ranked Capital
Written Oct. 20, 2007 by Ed Syguda

Otterbein linebacker Donnie Reinhart applies the heat to Capital QB Wade Bartholomew

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein (4-3, 4-2) stunned 6th-ranked Capital (6-1, 5-1), pinning the first loss this season on its cross-town rival, 17-10, in an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup Saturday in Memorial Stadium.

“Ever since the second half of the Ohio Northern game (a 27-14 loss Sept. 29),” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth, “we’ve turned into a pretty good football team. We’ve got to continue, taking it one game at a time.”

The Cardinals played a near flawless game—committing just one turnover—against one of the best defenses in the nation on their way to their third-consecutive win. Capital came into the game ranked second in NCAA Division III in three categories: total defense (143.8 yards a game), rushing defense (19.2 yards per outing) and scoring defense (4.8 points a game).

Place-kicker Alek Shirvanian, a senior from Dearborn Heights, Mich. (Annapolis High School), put Otterbein on the scoreboard first, hitting a 26-yard field goal with 2:01 to play in the first quarter.

Otterbein quarterback Jack Rafferty, a sophomore from Columbus (Dublin Coffman), made it 10-0 with a crucial 2-yard run on a fourth-and-goal situation with 4:42 to play in the first half.

“That play was big,” Loth said. “I came close to calling a timeout (for a field-goal attempt), but decided to stick with the play because I knew we needed to score some points.”

Running back Eric Yates, a sophomore from Dublin (Scioto), scored what proved to be the game-winner, a 7-yard run that capped off a 13-play, 80-yard drive to make the score, 17-3, with 1:13 to play in the third quarter.

Yates and Rafferty combined for 121 rushing yards in the win. No team had rushed for 100 yards against Capital this season. The Crusaders had not allowed a rushing touchdown until today.

Although most of the focus coming into the game was on the Crusader defense, it was the Otterbein defense that played its best game in 2007, holding Capital to 326 yards of total offense, a season best for the Cardinals, who had been allowing 480.5 yards a game.

Linebacker Wil Longsdorf, a sophomore from London, led the Cardinal defense with 12 tackles, five unassisted. Cornerback Tony Furr, a junior from Johnstown (Monroe), and linebacker Eric Burnsides, a junior from Columbus (Worthington Kilbourne), tallied 10 tackles apiece.

Otterbein travels to Muskingum next Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.

Cards Host 6th-Ranked Capital
Written Oct. 18, 2007 by Ed Syguda

Otterbein takes on cross-town rival and 6th-ranked Capital, 1:30 p.m., Saturday in a key Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup.

The game can be seen on tape delay on the Columbus Sports Network Saturday at 9:30 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. on Time Warner and Insight (channel 78) and WOW! (97); and also over-the-air (32).

Both teams come into the game off wins—the Cardinals, under head coach Joe Loth, who is in his fifth season at his alma mater, downing Heidelberg, 34-31, at home and Capital, under 11th-year head coach Jim Collins, handling 15th-ranked Ohio Northern, 24-6, at home.

Otterbein, 3-3 overall, sits in a four-way tie for second place with Ohio Northern (4-2), John Carroll (4-2), and Baldwin-Wallace (4-2), each 3-2 in conference play. The Crusaders, 6-0 overall, share first place with top-ranked Mount Union, each 5-0 in the OAC.

“Capital’s defense is as impressive as any defense I have seen as a coach at the Division III level,” Loth said. “Teams are averaging 19 yards a game rushing against them.

“Offensively, Capital has done a tremendous job of overcoming injuries and performing as one of the top offenses in the country,” Loth added.

The Crusaders sit second in the OAC in total defense (143.8 yards a game) and fourth behind Otterbein in total offense (344.3 yards a game). The Cardinals are averaging 371.8 yards of offense a game.

Last Saturday in Columbus, Capital broke open a close game—trailing Ohio Northern, 6-3—with three touchdown passes of 11, 23 and 31 yards from quarterback Wade Bartholomew, a junior from Williamsport, over the final 18 minutes of the game. Capital tallied three interceptions in the win with two coming from free safety C.J. Steele, a junior from Hilliard.

Otterbein, meanwhile, made it five wins in a row over Heidelberg to extend its Rhine River Cup series lead to 10-5-1 last Saturday in Westerville. Heidelberg and Otterbein played the first college football game in Germany, which ended in a draw, 7-7, in Frankfurt in 1992.

Wide receiver Scott DeLong, a senior from Van Wert (Crestview High School), turned in a career day against the Berg, tallying 11 receptions for 160 yards (both career highs), including one touchdown, a two-point conversion, and a blocked extra-point attempt. He made receptions of 8, 24 and 14 yards in Otterbein’s 10 play, 58-yard drive for the game-winning touchdown with 27 seconds to play.

”When we really needed plays at the end of both halves, Scott delivered for us,” Loth said.

Otterbein quarterback Jack Rafferty, a sophomore from Columbus (Dublin Coffman), completed 17 of 24 pass attempts for 196 yards, including two touchdowns, and rushed for 101 yards and one touchdown in just his second start this season. Running back Eric Yates, a sophomore from Dublin (Scioto), rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.

Capital leads the all-time series, 41-37-3, which began with a 60-0 Otterbein win in 1894. That win, however, is not officially recognized by Capital, who claims the series actually began in 1927 with a 39-6 Otterbein victory, making the series record 41-36-3.

Cards Retain Rhine River Cup in Wild Finish
Written Oct. 13, 2007 by Don Middleton

WESTERVILLE, OHIO―The Otterbein Cardinals (3-3, 3-2) defeated Heidelberg (2-4, 1-4) by a score of 34-31 in the battle for the Rhine River Cup Saturday in Memorial Stadium.

In a game full of offense, it was Otterbein who came through when they needed it most, scoring at the end of the second and fourth quarters. 

In front of a near sold-out crowd, sophomore quarterback Jack Rafferty (Columbus/Dublin Coffman) pleased the OC faithful, going 4 of 6 for 50 yards and also converting on a critical fourth-and-inches to keep Otterbein’s hopes alive on their final drive of the game.  Rafferty threaded a 4-yard pass through the Berg defense to sophomore wide receiver Ryan Rowley (Grove City) with 27 seconds remaining for a Cardinal touchdown.  After a successful 2-point conversion, the Cards had a 34-31 lead and the eventual win. 

Heidelberg got on the board first, but the Cardinals struck back quickly with a 12-yard run by Rafferty (Columbus/Dublin Coffman). After a two-yard TD pass by Steve West put Heidelberg up 13-7 (PAT blocked); Otterbein used a 10 play, 70-yard drive capped off by sophomore running back Eric Yates’ (Dublin/Scioto) one-yard TD run to put OC up 14-13 with 13:31 remaining in the second quarter. 

Heidelberg responded with a 27-yard field goal before a 34-yard field goal by senior Alek Shirvanian (Dearborn Heights, Mich./Annapolis) gave Otterbein the lead again, 17-16, with 5:17 to go in the first half.

After a 43-yard pass to senior Scott DeLong (Van Wert/Crestview) gave OC the ball on the Heidelberg five-yard line with four seconds remaining in the first half, Rafferty hit DeLong again, this time on a five-yard strike to give the Cards a 23-16 lead.  The extra point by Otterbein was blocked by Heidelberg and taken back 100 yards by Charlie Peffley to give the Student Princes two points to end the half with Otterbein leading 23-18.

Offensively, Rafferty was 17 of 24 for 196 yards and two touchdowns.  DeLong finished with 11 catches for 160 yards and one touchdown.

For the second consecutive week, the Cardinals featured two 100- yard rushers.  Yates led the way with 131 yards and one touchdown while Rafferty finished with 101 yards on 23 carries and one touchdown.

Defensively, junior cornerback Tony Furr (Johnstown/Johnstown-Monroe) led the team in tackles with nine.

Otterbein was 5 for 12 on third-down conversions and 2 for 3 on fourth-down attempts.  The teams combined for only five punts.  While the first half featured a combined 41 points, the team’s combined for only 24 points in the second half. 

With the win, Otterbein has won five consecutive meetings against the Berg.  The Cards also improved to 10-5-1 in the Rhine River Series.

Otterbein will remain at home next Saturday (Oct. 20) for a game against cross-town rival and sixth-ranked Capital (6-0, 5-0).  Game time is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Cards Take on the Berg in the Battle for the Rhine River Cup
Written Oct. 11, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein continues Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play Saturday, hosting Heidelberg in the battle for the Rhine River Cup. Game time is set for 2 p.m. in Memorial Stadium. It will be Homecoming.

Heidelberg and Otterbein played the first college football game in Germany, which ended in a 7-7 tie in Frankfurt in 1992. The two teams have been playing for possession of the cup ever since. The Cardinals hold a 9-5-1 lead in the Rhine River series, having won eight of the last nine meetings, including the last four.

Both teams come into the game off wins—the Cardinals downing Wilmington, 58-41, on the road and Heidelberg, under first-year head coach Mike Hallett, stunning Baldwin-Wallace, 42-20, at home. Otterbein, 2-3 overall, sits in a three-way tie with John Carroll (3-2) and Baldwin-Wallace (3-2) for fourth place, each 2-2 in the OAC. The Berg, 2-3 overall, sits in a three-way tie for seventh place with a 1-3 conference record.

“Heidelberg has done a great job this season,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth, who is in his fifth season at his alma mater. “You can see the talent and effort on the game film.

”They completely shut down Baldwin-Wallace offensively, and were able to run and pass,” Loth continued. “They are not only the most improved team in the conference, they are one of the better teams in the conference.”

The Berg, winless over the last three seasons, out-scored Baldwin-Wallace, 28-10, over the final 17 minutes of play to win its first OAC game since 2003. B-W came into the contest ranked 17th by d3football.com.

Quarterback Steve West, a senior from Huron, threw for 229 yards and one touchdown on 16-of-23 passing, and rushed for 41 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Four different backs scored a rushing touchdown in the win.

Otterbein, meanwhile, rolled up 614 yards of offense (217 passing/397 rushing) in its win at Wilmington.

“Our offense at Wilmington was really efficient,” Loth said. “We were able to both run and throw the ball effectively. We now need to establish a weekly consistency on offense."

Jack Rafferty, making his first start at quarterback, threw two touchdown passes and ran for another two scores. The quarterback, a sophomore from Columbus (Dublin Coffman), completed 10 of 15 pass attempts for 217 yards, and rushed for 136 yards on 19 carries. He was named OAC Offensive Player of the Week.

“Jack played extremely well,” Loth said. “He does a nice job of decision making and moving the offense.”

Fullback Eric Yates, a sophomore from Dublin (Scioto), turned in a career performance, rushing for 204 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries. His TD’s came on runs of 57, 14 and one yards.

OAC Names Rafferty Player of the Week on Offense
Written Oct. 9, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Quarterback Jack Rafferty, a sophomore from Columbus (Dublin Coffman High School), was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “offensive football player of the week”, the OAC released Monday.

Rafferty, making his first start as a Cardinal, threw for two touchdowns and ran for another two scores in a 58-41 win at Wilmington last Saturday. The quarterback completed 10 of 15 pass attempts for 217 yards, including scoring strikes of 33 and 20 yards to wide receiver Scott DeLong, a senior from Van Wert (Crestview). He threw no interceptions in the win.

Rafferty also rushed for 136 yards on 19 carries, including touchdown runs of 13 and two yards.

In what might be a conference first, Rafferty becomes the second Otterbein quarterback this season to earn OAC player of the week honors.  Quarterback Paul Stelzer, a senior from Delaware (Rutherford B. Hayes), took the honor after leading the Cardinals to a 41-23 win at Marietta Sept. 22.

WILMINGTON, OHIO―The Otterbein Cardinals (2-3, 2-2) defeated Wilmington College (1-4, 1-3) by a score of 58-41 Saturday in Wilmington.

The Cards used a balanced attack in the victory, but did most of their damage on the ground, as they ran for a season high 397 yards.  Sophomore QB Jack Rafferty (Columbus/Dublin Coffman) stole the show with 361 yards of total offense and three touchdowns.  The Columbus native was 10 of 15 through the air for 217 yards and one touchdown and gained 144 yards on the ground adding two more touchdowns.

Otterbein scored on its first five possessions to build a 31-13 with 9:18 to play in the first half.  Rafferty hit senior wide receiver Scott DeLong (Van Wert/Crestview) on a 33-yard strike to put the Cards up 7-0 on the team’s first possession.  After a Wilmington touchdown (PAT failed), Freshman kicker Alek Shirvanian (Dearborn Heights, Mich./Annapolis) knocked through a 28-yard field goal to put Otterbein up 10-6.  Sophomore running back Eric Yates (Dublin/Scioto) then shredded through the Quaker defense on a 57-yard run on the team’s next possession to put Otterbein up 17-6.  Rafferty added a touchdown on a two-yard scamper to give the Cards their only points of the second quarter and a 31-13 lead.  Wilmington added two touchdowns at the end of the half to cut the Cardinal lead to 31-27.

After forcing Wilmington to punt on their first possession of the second half, OC scored 17 unanswered points after two touchdown runs by Yates and a 33-yard field goal by Shirvanian gave the Cards a 48-27 lead with one quarter to be played.

Wilmington opened up the scoring in the fourth quarter with a touchdown to cut the lead to 48-34.  OC then answered with 10 points of their own; a 20-yard touchdown reception by DeLong and 23-yard field goal by Shirvanian. Wilmington added a late touchdown, but it was too late as Otterbein sealed the victory by the score of 58-41.

DeLong had his second 100-yard receiving game of the season with six catches, 140 yards, two touchdowns and a 23.3 rec/avg.  Yates had a career-best 212 yards on 22 carries and three touchdowns.

Otterbein’s 58 points were the teams most since a 65-35 victory over Heidelberg in 2005.

Otterbein will return home for the next two weeks beginning with a homecoming game against Heidelberg (2-3, 1-3) next Saturday (Oct. 13) in Memorial Stadium.  Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Cards Fall to 11th-Ranked Polar Bears
Written Sept. 29, 2007 by Don Middleton

WESTERVILLE, OHIO―The Otterbein Cardinals (1-3, 1-2) fell to No. 11 Ohio Northern (4-0, 3-0) by a score of 27-14 Saturday in Memorial Stadium.

The Polar Bears opened up the scoring when quarterback Jeff Pankratz hit Brook Crawford on a 15-yard TD pass with 7:53 remaining in the first quarter.  Cornerback Steve Gunter gave ONU good field position after a 24-yard interception return put the ball on the OC 28-yard line.  The extra point failed after a botched snap, leaving the score 6-0.

After a 49-yard punt return by Michael Busch, putting ONU on the Otterbein 33-yard line, running back R.J. Meadows scored on the first play of the second quarter on a 26-yard run.  Meadows added the two-point conversion to put the Polar Bears up 14-0.

A blocked punt by Steven Gunter gave ONU the ball on the Otterbein 14-yard line and Pankratz found Meadows wide open in the flat for a 14-yard strike with 12:34 remaining, giving ONU a 21-0 lead.

With 4:29 remaining in the first half, Jake Heaphy added a 40-yard field goal to put ONU up 24-0.  Heaphy added another field goal of 27 yards to end the half with ONU leading 27-0.

After being shutout in the first half, Otterbein got on the board quickly with 12:36 remaining in the third quarter.  Otterbein started off with great field position after a 48-yard kickoff return by senior Josh Bope (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) to put the Cards on the ONU 39-yard line. After two pass interference penalties gave OC good field position, junior fullback Eric Yates (Dublin/Scioto) scored on a 2-yard TD run.  The touchdown was the first of the season for Yates.

With 4:17 remaining in the third quarter, senior quarterback Paul Stelzer (Delaware/Hayes) found sophomore tight end Michael Detwiler (Westfield Center/Cloverleaf) on a screen pass that the sophomore ran 15 yards after the catch for an Otterbein touchdown.

Offensively for the Cardinals, Stelzer finished 13 of 29 for 111 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.  Yates finished with 47 yards on eight carries and one touchdown.

On the defensive side of the ball, senior defensive back Justin Ross (Canal Winchester) led the team with 11 tackles, while sophomore defensive back Austin Weaver (Dublin/Coffman) recorded the lone sack for the Cards.

Cards Host 11th-Ranked Polar Bears
Written Sept. 26, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein hosts 11th-ranked Ohio Northern, 7 p.m., Saturday in an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup.

Ohio Northern, 3-0 overall, sits in a four-way tie with 10th-ranked Baldwin-Wallace, top-ranked Mount Union and 7th-ranked Capital atop the OAC, each 2-0 in league play. The Cardinals, 1-2 overall, share fifth place with John Carroll, each 1-1 in the OAC.

Otterbein, under head coach Joe Loth, who is in his fifth season at his alma mater, rolled to a 41-23 win at Marietta last Saturday. The offense, led by senior quarterback Paul Stelzer, tallied 593 yards in the game, 423 yards through the air.

“We, obviously, played our best game of the year,” Loth said. “We need to build on that performance.”

Stelzer, who was named OAC Player of the Week on offense, threw five touchdown strikes in the first half, three to senior wide receiver Scott DeLong, and finished with 394 yards and five TD’s, both career highs, on 26-of-44 passing. DeLong made 10 receptions for 155 yards and three TD’s, all career highs. Senior running back Tyrone Morgan added 104 rushing yards on eight carries.

“Paul played an outstanding football game,” Loth said. “His ability to throw the deep ball really opened up the ball game for us.”

Although the Cardinal defense yielded 408 yards, they forced four turnovers, including three interceptions, in the win. Senior cornerback Tony Furr made two late fourth-quarter picks in the Otterbein end zone. Junior strong safety John Wahler and junior middle linebacker Eric Burnsides made nine tackles each. Whaler forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.

The Polar Bears, under head coach Dean Paul, who is in his fourth season at Ohio Northern, set a school record for pass sacks, 10, on their way to a 23-13 win over John Carroll last Saturday in Ada. Northern led 23-0 entering the fourth quarter.

Senior middle linebacker Lenny Trusnik made 10 stops, including 2.5 pass sacks, to earn OAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. The Polar Bears forced five turnovers in the game.

Junior running back R. J. Meadows scored twice on a pair of one-yard runs, finishing with 68 yards on 20 carries. Sophomore wide receiver Ben Wittwer caught eight passes for 108 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown reception from junior quarterback Jeff Pankratz.

Ohio Northern opened the 2007 season with a 42-0 win over Millikin at home Sept. 8 then defeated Muskingum, 27-9, on the road Sept. 15.

“ONU has one of the top-ranked defenses in the conference,” Loth said. “We need to be able to both run and throw the football this week to be successful.”

Following Ohio Northern, the Cardinals travel to Wilmington next Saturday while Ohio Northern hosts two-time defending national champion Mount Union. Both games are scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.

OAC Names Stelzer Player of the Week
Written Sept. 24, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Quarterback Paul Stelzer, a senior from Delaware (Rutherford B. Hayes High School), was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “offensive football player of the week”, the OAC released today.

Stelzer threw for five touchdowns and a career-high 394 yards on 26-of-46 passing in a 41-23 OAC win at Marietta last Saturday.  He threw touchdown passes of 5, 36, 5, 13 and 50 yards. Stelzer has now thrown five touchdown passes in three games over his career at Otterbein.

The quarterback came close to breaking Otterbein’s single-game passing records of six touchdowns and 427 yards.

MARIETTA, OHIO―The Otterbein Cardinals (1-2, 1-1) defeated the Marietta Pioneers (0-3, 0-2) Saturday in Marietta, Ohio by a score of 41-23. 

Quarterback Paul Stelzer, a senior from Delaware (Hayes High School), was 26 of 44 and set career highs in passing yards with 394 and touchdowns with five.   

Senior wide receiver Scott DeLong (Van Wert/Crestview) had 10 catches for 155 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. 

Senior running back Tyrone Morgan, from Columbus (Northland), led the rushing attack with 104 yards on 13 carries (8.0 avg.).

Otterbein got off to a quick 14-0 lead after touchdown passes of 5 and 36 yards from Stelzer to DeLong.  With three more touchdown passes in the second quarter, all to different receivers, fullback Brady Collins (Galena/Olentangy), sophomore wide receiver Dan Gendron (Newport, Mich./Jefferson) and a 50-yard pass to DeLong put the Cardinals up 34-10 at the half.

The Cardinals lone touchdown of the second half came from a 30-yard pass from sophomore running back Colton Coy (Chillicothe/Adena) to sophomore wide receiver Ryan Rowley (Grove City).

On the defensive side of the ball, Otterbein’s leading tacklers were junior defensive back John Wahler (Huber Heights/Wayne) and junior linebacker Eric Burnsides (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) with nine tackles each. The Cards forced four turnovers − three interceptions and one fumble recovery and added two sacks.

Junior defensive back Tony Furr (Johnstown/Johnstown-Monroe) added two interceptions to give him a team-leading three on the season.

Otterbein was 8 of 16 on third-down conversions and 2 for 4 on fourth-down.

The Cardinals defeated Marietta for the third-consecutive year, and with the win, tied the overall series with the Pioneers at 40-40.

The 41 points are the highest since the team put up 47 against Wilmington in 2005. The 593 total yards of offense was the teams highest total in four years as their last 500-plus yard (522) effort came in 2003 against Wilmington in a 30-21 victory.

Cardinals Fall to No.1 ranked Mount Union 
Written Sept. 15, 2007 by Don Middleton

ALLIANCE, OHIO —The Otterbein Cardinals (0-2, 0-1) fell to No. 1 ranked Mount Union (2-0, 1-0) Saturday in Alliance, Ohio by a score of 58-14.

The Purple Raiders used a balanced attack to wear down the Otterbein defense as they threw for 443 yards and added another 284 yards on the ground. Quarterback Greg Micheli completed 84 percent of his passes (22-26) and threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns.  Running back Nate Kmic led the way rushing with 126 yards on 13 carries and found the end zone three times.

After being shut out for the first three quarters, Otterbein got on the board with two touchdown strikes to wide receiver Scott DeLong from quarterback Paul Stelzer, who completed 9 of 19 pass attempts for 110 yards. DeLong led the Cardinals offense with 97 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Free safety Justin Ross made 12 tackles, four unassisted, to lead the defense.

Otterbein was 3-10 on third-down conversions and was outgained in total offense 727-149.

The Cardinals last win against Mount Union came in 1977 when they defeated the Purple Raiders 24-17 in Alliance. 

The Cardinals hit the road again next weekend (Sept. 22) as they travel to Marietta, Ohio to take on the Pioneers (0-2, 0-1) from Marietta College. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Cards Comeback Falls Short
Written Sept. 8, 2007 by Don Middleton

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—The Otterbein Cardinals (0-1) fell to Defiance College (1-1) in its season opener Saturday at Memorial Stadium. After trailing 16-0 in the third quarter, Otterbein’s comeback came up short, falling 16-14.

In a gme full of penalties (251 yards combined), Defiance’s Luke Dillon stole the show, setting a Defiance school record with 258 receiving yards and 17 receptions.

After a 2-hour and 55-minute weather delay that saw heavy rains and lightning, Defiance got on the board first. On its second possession, Hans Vetter connected with Dillon for 39 yards that put the Yellow Jackets on the Otterbein 2-yard line.  Running back Lewis Caralla punched it in the end zone on the next play to give Defiance a 7-0 lead. A 40-yard field goal with 8:26 remaining in the first half gave Defiance a 10-0 advantage.  The Cardinals trailed by a score of 13-0 at halftime and were outgained in total yards, 259-76.

Otterbein opened up the second half with a 46-yard kickoff return to the Defiance 34-yard line but failed to score after missing a 40-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, a 12 play, 62-yard drive for Defiance ended with a 36-yard field goal to increase their lead to 16-0.  After a pass interference penalty and a 29-yard pass to Ryan Rowley that put the Cardinals on the Defiance 1-yard line, quarterback Jack Rafferty got Otterbein on the board with a draw play up the middle. A pass to wide receiver Scott DeLong completed the 2-pt conversion for Otterbein to pull within eight, 16-8.

Rafferty added his second rushing touchdown of the game with 8:13 remaining in the fourth quarter to pull Otterbein within two, 16-14.  The Cardinals 2-point conversion failed as Rafferty’s pass took receiver DeLong out of bounds.

The win for Defiance was its first against Otterbein in their four-year non-conference meetings. Otterbein was outgained in total offense 443-251 and was only 1-12 on third-down conversions.

Cards Host Defiance in Home Opener
Written Sept. 5, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein opens the 2007 campaign with the Yellow Jackets of Defiance College in a nonconference matchup Saturday, 7 p.m.,  in Memorial Stadium. The Jackets are a member of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Saturday’s meeting marks the end of the current four-game series with the Yellow Jackets, which began in 2004. Otterbein will play Bethany (WV) the next two seasons in its only out-of-conference game.

“It’s been a good series,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth, who is beginning his fifth season at his alma mater. “Defiance is a good football team. They went 7-3 last year, and should be good again this season.”

Defiance, under fourth-year head coach Robert Taylor, comes into the game off a 35-9 nonconference loss to Adrian last Saturday in Defiance. Adrian scored the game’s first 20 points before Defiance quarterback Hans Vetter hooked up with wide receiver Luke Dillon for a 39-yard score with 5:05 remaining in the first half. The Yellow Jackets suffered five turnovers in the loss.

Otterbein, meanwhile, returns 43 lettermen, including six starters on offense and five on defense, from last season’s 4-6 squad. 

“I feel real good right now,” Loth said earlier this week about his team’s preparation for the new season. “Our scrimmage (against Bethany last Saturday) went about as well as I thought it would. We just have to build off that.

“We have a real good bunch of kids,” Loth added. “They are working real hard.”

Senior quarterback Paul Stelzer, who missed the last four games of 2006 due to injury, returns to lead the offense. Stelzer averaged 137 passing yards a game, throwing for 13 touchdowns last season. In 2005, he threw for 2,593 yards and 21 TDs, leading the Cardinals to a 7-3 mark.       

Other key returnees on offense include senior wide receivers Josh Bope (42 rec./521 yds.), an honorable mention All-OAC pick last season, and Scott DeLong (40 rec./441 yds.); and senior running back Tyrone Morgan (101 att./429 yds.). DeLong led Otterbein in scoring with nine touchdown receptions.

Three-time Academic All-OAC free safety Justin Ross, a senior, returns to lead the defense. Ross, who received a medical redshirt for his junior season, led the Cards with three interceptions and averaged 5.3 tackles a game last season.

Otterbein leads Defiance, 5-2, in the all-time series that began in 1923. The Cardinals have won the last three meetings, including a 25-13 decision at Defiance in 2006.

Kieran Johnson Named Team MVP
Written Jan. 23, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—The Otterbein football coaching staff named linebacker Kieran Johnson “most valuable” and defensive end Tyler Evans and cornerback Andy Horvath as co-recipients of the Harry W. Ewing award, presented to the player who best exhibits commitment, hard work and pride.

Johnson, a junior from Columbus (Brookhaven High School), Evans, a senior from Oak Hill, and Horvath, a senior from Springfield (Southeastern), as well as the rest of the members of the 2006 football team were honored at the annual award’s banquet held last Sunday on the campus of Otterbein College.

Seventy-two players were awarded letters. 

Other players earning team honors were: Doug Tima, a senior offensive tackle from Bucyrus, “offensive line player of the year”; Josh Bope, a junior wide receiver from Plain City (Jonathan Alder), “offensive skill player of the year”; Matt Lisi, a defensive tackle from Columbus (Upper Arlington), “defensive front six player of the year”; Justin Ross, a senior free safety from Canal Winchester, “defensive secondary player of the year”; and Brady Collins, a freshman fullback from Galena (Olentangy), “special teams player of the year”.

For additional information, see below:

Kieran Johnson—Named first team All-OAC and second team Football Gazette All-North Region in 2006. Led the OAC with 97 tackles, including 9.5 for a loss of 46 yards. He tallied five pass sacks, forced three fumbles, recovered one fumble and made one interception.

Tyler Evans—Named second team All-OAC. Made 57 stops and led the team in tackles for a loss, with 15.5. He tallied 8.5 pass sacks for a loss of 55 yards.

Andy Horvath—Collected 22 tackles, 18 unassisted, and two interceptions in 2006.

Doug Tima—Named first team All-OAC and “offensive lineman of the week” four times this season by the Otterbein football coaching staff.

Josh Bope—Named honorable mention All-OAC. Led Otterbein with 42 receptions for 521 yards despite missing two games due to injury. Bope made four touchdown receptions.

Matt Lisi—Named first team All-OAC, third team Football Gazette All-North Region, and third team D3football.com All-North Region. Made 47 tackles, including 21 unassisted. Lisi tallied nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage for a loss 24 yards.

Justin Ross—Named game MVP twice in 2006 by the Otterbein football coaching staff. Team’s fifth-leading tackler, with 52. Made three interceptions.

Brady Collins—Named “special teams player of the week” twice by the Otterbein football coaching staff. Made 10 tackles.

Six Named to All-OAC Teams
Written Nov. 21, 2006 by Ed Syguda

AUSTINTOWN, OHIO—Six members of the Otterbein football team earned All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) honors, the OAC released today.

Doug Tima

Named to the first team were offensive tackle Doug Tima, a senior from Bucyrus, defensive tackle Matt Lisi, a senior from Columbus (Upper Arlington High School), and linebacker Kieran Johnson, a junior from Columbus (Brookhaven).

This marks the first time that Tima, a four-letterman, has made the All-OAC squad. The three-year starter was named “offensive lineman of the week” four times this season by the Otterbein football coaching staff.

Lisi, a three-time All-OAC performer, made 47 tackles, including 21 unassisted this season. He tallied nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage for a loss 24 yards. A four-year letterman, Lisi was named to the honorable mention All-OAC team as a freshman, and to the second team his junior season.

Matt Lisi

Johnson, who led the OAC in tackles in both 2005 and 2006, repeats on the first team. The three-year letterman collected 97 tackles, including 9.5 for a loss of 46 yards this season. He tallied five pass sacks, forced three fumbles, recovered one fumble and made one interception.

Named to the second team was defensive end Tyler Evans, a senior from Oak Hill. Evans, a three-year letterman, is making his first appearance on the All-OAC team. The defensive end made 57 stops and led the team in tackles for a loss, with 15.5, this season. He tallied 8.5 pass sacks for a loss of 55 yards.

Kieran Johnson

Named to the honorable mention team were defensive end Mike King, a junior from Dresden (Tri-Valley), and wide receiver Josh Bope, a junior from Plain City (Jonathan Alder).

King, a two-time All-OAC performer, recorded 45 tackles, including eight for a loss of 50 yards this year. The three-year letterman made 4.5 pass sacks, forced three fumbles and broke up five passes. King earned second team All-OAC honors as a sophomore.

Tima and Ross Named to Academic All-District Teams
Written Nov. 9, 2006 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Two members of the Otterbein football team were named to 2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV teams as selected by the College Sports Information Director’s of America (CoSIDA), released today by CoSIDA.

Offensive tackle Doug Tima, a senior from Bucyrus, and free safety Justin Ross, a senior from Canal Winchester, were selected to the second team.

Tima, majoring in physical science/secondary education, is a three-year starter. He is serving a term as vice chair of the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Ross, majoring in business administration, sits fourth among teammates with 49 tackles, 27 unassisted, this season. The three-year starter has two interceptions.         

Academic All-District IV team members are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. District IV encompasses the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.